


Through Blood, Through Fire

by Tru3_blooM



Category: Powerpuff Girls
Genre: Bubbles isn't as cute as we remember, Drama & Romance, F/F, F/M, Fist Fights, Gen, Grief/Mourning, High School, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, PPG 1998, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, She's hardcore and I will die showing you, Supervillains, Yeah Bloss and BC didn't make it, interdimensional shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:28:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 84,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27438103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tru3_blooM/pseuds/Tru3_blooM
Summary: "And so once again, the day is saved thanks to... The Powerpuff Girls!"But at what cost?Seven years ago, the Commander and Leader gave her last order.Seven years ago, the Toughest Fighter fought with everything she had.Seven years ago, the Joy and the Laughter stopped smiling...The monster of the day wasn't just that. And the Powerpuff Girls weren't enough.Now follow Bubbles Utonium, the last of the Powerpuff Girls in her attempt to fight crime, trying to save the world... but will she do it just in time?
Relationships: Butch/Bubbles Utonium, Mike Believe/Brick, Princess Morbucks/Robin Snyder
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! <3  
> Soooo, this is my first story, and I really hope whoever read it to enjoy it.  
> English isn't my first language, but I wanna improve it; and what better way to do it than writing.  
> Sorry if I don't know much about the American (English) spree and if I have both grammatical and spelling errors, I'll try to make them the least possible.
> 
> Enjoy it! :)

_2010_

One shot. Two shots. The ceiling ended with two horrible holes, and the screams of the people weren't helping with his headache. Really, why did his comrades decide today was a great day to rob a bank? Assholes.

The fat guy in front of him was trembling, scared, his clumsy fingers couldn't take a big bunch of money, and neither could speed up the process of putting the money in the bag. Dammit. If they didn't hurry, they wouldn't get out of there. He looked at his companions, also dealing with this people so that they could get the money. 

It was a simple task. _Put the money in the bag_.

What's the difficulty in it?

He could hear the police sirens in the distance; they would get there at any moment. But that wasn't his main concern, no... _No_. They could easily escape them. Townsville Police was as helpless as its former Major; they were the worst. Slow, useless, lazy. In fact, it was a miracle that the sirens were heard.

He pressed the gun against the chest of the fat guy, hoping it would encourage him to hurry the fuck up. Pathetic butter ball with butter fingers. He was very tempted to shoot him and do the work himself, but there was no time for that. And he didn't want to confront an enraged superhero. It was enought to risk robbing a bank in broad daylight to kill someone.

Finally, the guy finished to put all the fucking money in the fucking bag. He took the bag and hit the guy right in the temple. Heh, idiot.

He felt a hand on his shoulder; it was time to leave. The police was near, but not close enough to chase them. Well... they had enough money for buying some trinkets, maybe get some fun... with girls and drugs. Ah, what a time to be alive.

They left the bank, running toward the blue van with another man, another companion, ready to step on the gas and get them all out of there. 

It was, although tachycardical, a fucking success. When the so called "glorious" police got to the bank, it would be late. Like always. Nevertheless, they haven't escaped already. No. Maybe they avoided the police, but not... _her_. And that was a bigger problem, hell yeah. They had to reach the main avenue, so that they could get lost in the sea of cars. The problem was that they weren't any near that avenue, and the dude in front of the wheel was driving like a mad. Well, better that than a mad blonde girl.

He tried to relax, lean back in the seat and take a breath. It was easy, wasn't it? Nothing could go wrong beyond this point.

They got three huge bags full of money. They didn't kill anyone. They just wanted some fun, and to pay some debts. Furthermore, the bank was more of a thief than them. So, they weren't doing something wrong at all.

Why was he overthinking? Trying to find an explanation? He didn't have to explain nothing to no one. What a fool. Nothing... wrong... could... happen?

"SHIIIIT!", said the driver.

He was about to react when the crash came. It was like they crash against a lamppost, or something like that. No, it wasn't that. They were like flying, all the money pouring out of the bags. Everything was happening in slow motion. Money flying, comrades screaming bloody murder, dented metal... if they survived this car crashing, they wouldn't survive the girl with hell of a temper. Oh no, hell no. Fuck this shit; he must have told them it was a bad idea to rob a bank in this city. Maybe in Citiesville, but the police in there was as terrifying as the blonde girl... not so much, but almost.

He must have stayed home, sleeping, dealing with the terrible headache. Why did he have to be such an idiot?

It felt like an eternity in that hell, but it was only a couple of seconds before they landed again in the faithful pavement. He didn't feel his legs, and his right arm was broken. Shit. Just... shit! 

He looked at his companions; two of them were unconscious , if not death. The driver was against the wheel, the airbag covered in blood. The back door was opened savagely, and a blonde girl with piercing blue eyes came into his sight. She was sporting black jeans and a deep blue blouse with a black leather jacket; a simple clothes combination that were as indestructible as her.

He had to admit she was gorgeous, a pretty little thing that could make his day with those beautiful long legs and all those curves that let nothing to the imagination...

A pretty little thing that grabbed him by the neck, suffocating him and launching him out of the van. He landed on the pavement, crawling away from the van. Now _he_ was the pathetic guy. His comrades followed him an instant later. This girl... she meant business. She was scary as hell. And she was approaching him, blue eyes fixed on him, ready to... _kill him_. Oh dear lord, no. No, please, no.

WHY THE FUCK DID HE ACCEPT TO ROB A BANK!?

"Well, well..." said the blondie. "What did we got now? Oh! It's you! What a delightful surprise, Alexander!" She giggled. GIGGLED!? No, no, no. Please, it was time for the police to arrive, to save him from this crazy girl. The so called "Joy and the Laughter" was... she was going to kill him.

"Bu-Bub-Bu... Bubbles," he whispered. He wasn't a God believer, but right now, he was praying to whoever was listening to help him. He was not a good guy, but he wasn't that bad either. And even if he was, he didn't deserve this punishment.

Please, this must be a nightmare...

"Alexander, I do not understand why the Law considers you a good guy. If only you would behave as well on the streets as you do in prison... But don't worry, this time I will make sure you don't get out of prison so easily. Not now, not ever."

He didn't want to get out of prison again for that matter. If the judge gave him a life sentence, he would do him a huge favor.

She took one more step toward him. He couldn't get away, run, escape, whatever. His legs didn't respond and he could barely hold the pain of his arm. She crouched in front of him, still looking him in the eyes.

Just for one moment, one single moment, he could see the fury of the Toughest Fighter, and the control of the Commander and Leader. But never a flash of the Joy and the Laughter. And it was the scariest thing he had ever seen in his miserable life.

Oh, please. Were the police really as slow as everyone thought? It would be a matter of time before the fury of her blue eyes won against the control of her body. And he didn't wanna know how it would end. If there was a god, please, have mercy on his soul.

The police appeared. Oh, thank God! She got up, looking at the glorious police. He had never been so happy to see the police.

"Thank you, Bubbles!" said a police. It had to be a joke. Thanks? For almost killing him?

"Do not worry, sir. It's always a pleasure to aid the police." she said, happily. There was something else in her tone, but Alexander couldn't discern it; he was relieved to see his saviors.

Once again, she looked at him, and a sinister smile appeared on her angel face.

"You're so fucking lucky, Alexander," she muttered. "One more minute and maybe they would have needed to call an extra ambulance"

He gulped and looked at the police officer, but nor him nor anybody appeared to hear her.

She just walked away, letting the police do its job.

* * *

The fucking police, always arriving late, always letting her do their fucking job. What was the point of having a police station and paying them if the only thing they did was eat donuts and drink alcohol as if it was water. Shitheads. Blossom had always been right: they existed just for mere protocol, 'cause for their job, they were useless. What a waste of money.

Ah, Buttercup would have agreed with her. They would have laughed at them. Or maybe not. She didn't know how things would have been if they...

No, this was not the time.

Her patrolling wasn't over yet, but it was almost four, and she hadn't eaten something. Maybe the boys were still at Susie's, eating their sixth pizza and the third basket of nachos. Oh, she needed some food, some carbohydrates, and some company. Yeah, a break.

She flew directly to Susie's. In the parking lot were many cars; one of them was an old... black... ah, she didn't care about Brick's car model. It was a car, wasn't it? Next to it was Princess's car; an annoying grape-colored car courtesy of Mr. Morbucks in his sad attempt to get his daughter forgiveness. Obviously, she accepted it, but did not forgive him. Bubbles couldn't blame her; after all he had done to her mother and her, a car was like... well, a punch in the face hurt less. A car was a car, it had to fulfill its purpose. 

She landed in front of the entrance and saw, through the windows, her group of friends.

Princess was laughing, maybe at a joke from Boomer. On her left was Robin, goggling at Princess like if she was the only girl in the world. Ha, and Robin said she didn't like Princess. That was the understatement of the year.

In front of the girls were Boomer, cackling like a hyena and Butch, laughing at Boomer's laugh. Yeah, Boomer's jokes were so bad that what make you laugh was his laugh itself. 

On Butch's left was Brick, with an arm around Mike. Those two were such an idiots. Just like the two girls in front of them. The four of them were so oblivious; brilliant, but idiots. Bubbles hoped that Boomer and Butch make their older brother see that he was the only fool in the shitty high school that thought Michael Believe didn't like him. And the same went for Mike. At least the girls -well, Princess- admitted their... infatuation? You know what? Bullshit.

Bubbles remembered that time, when they were five or so, and they fought at each other. Princess always wanted to be a Powerpuff. And the boys, the Rowdyruff Boys, always wanted to destroy the girls. Robin hated them both, just like Mike and Mitch, who was nowhere to be seen. Even years later they kind of love-hated at each other. They tolerated more with the years; even BC and Butch liked to beat the shit out of the Gangreen Gang together, and Brick and Bloss liked -no, _loved_ \- being paired together on school works. Two brilliant brains could finish faster the work, and without a mistake. Bubbles and Boomer loved to draw, to sing, things that the other four despised. And how to forget when they were eight years old and the Mayor had another tantrum because of his breakfast. The boys and Princess had to go and get the breakfast -and the antidote X- while the girls tried to calm down the Mayor. In the end, the Mayor got out of control and was Princess who knocked him down.

It was hilarious, and it was one of the few times they all had to work together. Bubbles thought, just as Bloss, that some day, they would all be friends and who knows, fight crime together.

They weren't exactly friends, but neither enemies. It was weird. They were not willing to help unless Blossom was in "boss" mode and lost her patience; and she only called them for aid if BC and Bubbles were off.

And _that_ day... 

But now, they were in the same table, eating and laughing, forgetting that stage of their lives and some of them falling in love. And Bubbles, the so hated Powerpuff Girl, had befriended them. 

If her sisters were here, they certainly would call her crazy, make her get away from them. Or not, and as Bubbles, Bloss and BC would befriended the boys and Princess. Whatever, Bubbles would never know. 

She inhaled and entered the place. Only one table was available, and the place was flooded by the smell of cheese, meat, and bread. Ah, food, sweet food. Bubbles was ready to devour four hamburgers in a row an maybe challenge Butch to see who could eat the most hot dogs in the shortest amount of time. She would win; BC would be proud of her.

She went to the bar and made her order; four hamburgers with french fries and almost a liter of strawberry milkshake. Butch would be the one who brings out the challenge, she was sure.

Bubbles then approached the table; Princess was the first one to notice her presence and made space for her. She took her bag off the seat and put it on the floor, patting at the same time the new spot for Bubbles. Just for a moment she let herself chill, take a look at her friends and believe life wasn't as terrible as it had been the last six years.

"How was the patrol, Bubs?" said Robin, still looking lovingly at Princess.

"Meh."

She leaded back towards the seat and took one of french fries in front of her. Apparently, they hadn't started eating a long ago. She arrived just in time.

"I heard there was a bank robbery," said Boomer, interested.

"Nothin' I couldn't take care of."

"What? Did you get the shit out of the dudes?" asked Butch, raising his eyebrows.

"Nope. I just stopped the car and the police did the rest."

"By the rest," said Princess, "you mean they only handcuffed the guys and took all the credit?"

Bubbles couldn't answer. Buttercup would be furious as fuck, and Blossom would only say that they did not want the glory; they were superheroes, they were the good ones. Glory was not something they had to contemplate. All they did was for the greater good, not for their ego.

"Like I said, they did the rest."

"She mean yes," said Mike, just as annoyed as Robin and Princess.

"Bubsy," Robin started, "they are a bunch of petty assholes. They don't do anything aside from eating donuts and claim the glory!"

"She is right, Bubs," Mike intervened, angrier. "You risk your life everyday, and only for doing their stupid job!"

The food made its appearence. Good, she was craving for it. And she was craving for Butch to call out that challenge. 

"Yeah but..."

"But!?" claimed Princess.

"... it's my job, remember? And I have no right to arrest the bad guys and interrogate them or whatever. Besides, it's not like the police would be rival against the monsters. All they would do, if by miracle they do not shit their pants, is to mark a perimeter."

"They would totally shit their pants," Butch snorted.

"Exactly. That's what I am here for."

Bubbles was about to give a bite to the delicious hamburger in her hands when an alarm resonate. Well, there went her food. Why did the fucking monsters had to always choose her break to attack? Fucking city. 

In the distance, she saw a big and ugly monster. It was not like any monster was pretty, but this one was horrific.

"Bubsy..." said Princess, worried and... Oh hell, no!

"NO," said Bubbles.

"But Bubs, it's huge and..."

"I said no! You're not gonna get your supersuit and I dunno, try to hit it hard on the head!"

"It's not like I'm gonna do it all by myself!"

"I said NO!" And that was the end of it. Bubbles catched a glimpse from Brick, who was ready to pull his brothers back to him if they tried to follow her. In the past, she may have resented it; right now, she was grateful there was someone with a braincell who could understand the danger of fighting a monster. 

She got up, grabbing one hamburger and stealing another bunch of french fries from Brick, who ignored her.

Well, here we go again.

* * *

Building met Bubbles. Bubbles met building. Stupid fucking three-eyed reddish monster with its... disgusting slime. The strategy she used wasn't the best one, she must admit, but it was the first one that came to her mind.

She got up and tried to walk, stumbling. Her blouse had some red spots, and her jeans felt wet. Shit. She hoped it was from the monster and not from her. 

_Think, Bubbles, think. What would Blossom do? How would Buttercup fight?_

All the monsters had a weakness; everyone had a weakness. She just had to observe just as Bloss, to prepare her body just as BC. 

The monster hit another building, and a choking noise came from its throat.

An energy blast? No, that wouldn't pierce its skin; that only would get it mad.

A supersonic scream? No, that would drive it angrier.

Heat vision? No; besides she would get blinder, the monster would destroy everything in its agony.

A tornado? She was just one person against a giant monster; she couldn't make a tornado that engulfed it and throw it into the sea.

A scream distracted her. It was a little boy, alone in the middle of that chaos. Just as Bubbles, the monster noticed the child and went for him.

Bad news for the monster: Bubbles was faster than it. She carried the child and flew away, bringing the boy to safety in the outskirts of the city, with some other people. Bubbles hoped his mother was somewhere near here.

Another chocking noice.

Bubbles got back to the city, still thinking how to destroy the beast.

It was giant, red, with three eyes, had four pair of horns and spikes. Oh, and seven pairs of tentacles. Somewhere has to be its mouth, from where the slime came from. A putrid white slime. 

After beating this monster, she would cut her hair; the scent of the slime was penetrating, and she was all covered in it. Nor all the water nor all the shampoo in the world could remove that disgusting smell from her hair. Iugh.

But first, she had to destroy it. And she didn't know how.

Unless...

She could manage to dodge every tentacle or... let that vile wretched monster eat her. It wasn't the best option but hey, nobody came with a better idea so...

A tentacle engulfed her; she tried to relax, which was almost impossible 'cause she was about to be swallowed and digested by a giant monster and didn't know if her plan was going to work.

Its beak made appearance; the smell of the white slime was ten million times worse; Bubbles wanted to puke. 

_Just relax, Bubs, relax... It would only take a few seconds and then it's over. Kill this sickening monster and you can head home_.

She held her breath and closed her eyes. This was gonna suck. Really, really suck. Right, here we go...

An energy blast and heat vision would make it, she just needed to... to reach the stomach of this thing and bum, blow it up in million pieces. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Ha!, it was so... so... she got stuck in its esophagus, and apparently the monster was choking with her. Fantastic! It couldn't get worse.

In her mind, her plan was awesome, simple... not difficult difficult lemon difficult! 

_To hell with that_. 

Bubbles screamed at the same time her hands released a powerful electric blast. Something sticky fell into her mouth. Crap! To puke or not to puke, that was the million dollars question! Once she destroyed this nasty monster, she would use all the toothpaste of her house and take a one hour bath.

The city didn't pay her for doing the dirty work. And even if they did, no amount of money was worth it.

WHY DIDN'T THIS FUCKING MONSTER DIE!? 

Oh well, she spoke too soon.

It exploded, just as she planned. Now, she needed to land, to puke and then go home, where her dad would be waiting for her with a bath ready.

Some civilians started to come out form hiding, thanking and applauding her.

_Smile, Bubbles, smile. You are the Joy and the Laughter, they expect you to smile, to laugh, to pretend everything is fine. And to assure them you are here, you will always be here... stucked with them, to save them, to save the day. No matter what... The Power... The Powerpuff Girls... they will always save the city..._

She did it. She smiled, laughed, pretended everything was fine.

They swore it. Protect the city with everything they had.

'Till their last breath.

* * *

_"She is powerful, sir."_

_"It won't be enough. No matter what she or those Rowdyrock Boys do. Their dimensions are mine... Only mine."_

_His protégé was right; that blonde girl was powerful, even alone. But that was her main problem: she was **alone**. Her sisters were six meters underground. She wasn't as intelligent as her elder sister, nor as strong as her other sister. Neither she had the ice power of that redhead girl, or the stamina of the raven haired girl. No. She was just a blondie, a sweet little child that pretended she wasn't scared but deep inside her, she was terrified._

_And those Rowdyrock Boys... they thought they could find a way to win, to beat him. However, the redhead boy had a nasty little secret, one that could destroy his family and himself. Poor saps. One wrong move and it would be the end of them._

_It was only a matter of time before Bubbles Utonium gave up; before the Momo's brothers destroyed themselves._

_They would fall, all of them would fall._

_It didn't matter if they got help from their counterparts, from other dimensions... from wherever._

_Those superheroes wouldn't be enough, it didn't matter how much they tried. They would fail, and then..._

_He would rule over both dimensions, and once he got them, he would go for the rest._

_It was only a matter of time._


	2. On Your Own

_"We are the Powerpuff Girls! It's our duty to protect Townsville, to protect every man, woman and child. To defeat the forces of evil. As long as we are here, Townsville will always be safe!"_

_Bubbles just stared at her sister, her red bow so elegant and immovable, her sense of duty glittering and filling every empty space of the city. She then looked at Buttercup, her bravery and determination rivaling the attitude of their eldest sister._

_But what did Bubbles has? Happiness? A pretty face? Cowardy?_

_She had nothing to offer like her sisters. She only cried, talked to animals... followed Blossy's orders and stayed behind BC._

_For her sisters, she was enough. They told her that only two of them couldn't defeat the evil; they had to be the three of them._

_Together they were invincible._

_Blossy always told Bubbles that maybe she was the "brain", and BC the "fists"... but she, Bubbles, was their heart. The Powerpuff's heart. The one who always remind them they were human._

_How was that supposed to help in their duty as superheroes?_

_How was that supposed to save lives?_

_At the time, she didn't care too much. She had Blossy, who would always tell them what to do. She had BC, who would always punch everything and everyone who dared to hurt Bubbles. And Bubbles would always remind them that they were human, not robots, not an experiment._

_Bubbles also believed her sisters when they told her that no matter what, they would always be stuck together._

_Together..._

_They were invincible. Together they..._

_They had to be..._

_Invincible..._

_She looked at Blossom. And for an instant, she hated her. How dare she make such a promise? Did she know what she was putting at stake? It was their lives!_

_And Buttercup, always fighting with Bloss over the decisions she made for the sisters, seemed to agree with Blossy's promise. C'mon, BC! You are better than that!_

_She averted her gaze to her left; three boys, with the same powers as them, were chuckling. Behind the green one, there was a redhead girl with a ridiculous golden crown, also laughing at the sisters._

_None of her sisters saw that little gang. They were concentrated making an oath to the city. And this gang was mocking them..._

_This same gang who would help the Powerpuff Girls sometimes, who would like to be with the girls. They were friends when they had to beat a monster. They were enemies every time the boys decided they wanted to do something illegal, every time the redhead girl was acting like a punk._

_They were laughing at them..._

_But they did not laugh when only one sister got up. They stopped this stupid rivalry and... something in them broke..._

_And the oath, the "Powerpuff Oath", relayed on the last sister._

_The youngest sister. The heartbroken Bubbles._

_They weren't together anymore. How the fuck was she going to be invincible?_

_Just... how?_

* * *

_"Don't worry, Bubsy! Just take my hand and BC's. Everything is gonna be fine!"_

_"You promise?"_

_Blossy just smiled, her heartwarming pink eyes looking lovingly at Bubbles._

_"I promise."_

* * *

"The city of Townsville! It's a beautiful sunny day, without havoc and-"

To hell with that crap!

Bubbles turned off the alarm. She just wanted to lie in bed for another... let's say, one week.

Something hurt her; maybe the broken ribs, maybe the bruises that covered all of her body, maybe the wound in her stomach, 'cause a fucking piece of glass hurt her while she was dealing with the stupid monster. Ah, the wonders of Chemical X; if she was a normal person, she would have died from the bleeding.

Well, she would have died since her birth, but that wasn't the point.

Someone knocked the door.

"Sweetie?" asked the Professor. "It's time you get up."

She growled. The Professor only chuckled. It wasn't funny. She didn't want to get up; and not because of school, but for the despicable monsters and criminals she would have to deal with.

"C'mon, sweetheart. Or else you will be late."

Cripes. Okay, there we go.

She sat up; something popped, something creaked, something wasn't in it's place. Bubbles didn't wanna move. Another move and maybe the Professor would need to reassemble her with screws and some oil for her joints. 

_Just take it easy, Bubs. It's nothing you haven't suffered before._

If she felt like a woman in her 80's when right now Bubbles was seventeen, she didn't want to know how she would really feel at her 80's.

Finally, she could get out of the huge bed, not without complaining while doing it. Three days had already passed since she destroyed the monster; three days and every day she felt worse. The pain was such that she ignored the alarms that sounded asking for her help. The city would be okay without her. The police could manage it.

Or that was what she wanted to believe.

She went to her closet. What was ideal for a beautiful sunny Thursday? It was seven in the morning, of a crazy September, with 90 percent chance of a monster attack. She couldn't use anything white, or a skirt, or a short for that matter. Not even heels. Or a tank top.

Nope, she needed something simple, conservative, comfortable, almost indestructible and that could hide the blood stains.

Black, that would be. Well... she needed another color. Blue? Yellow? Red? Green? Purple? She took a glance at a pink shirt.

Today Bubbles felt a bit nostalgic for Blossy. Blossy. With a pink dress and her faithful red bow. Ready to beat the living shit out of Brick. Ha, that was always funny.

Anyway, Bubs took the ripped black jeans and the pink shirt, along with a sweatshirt the same color as the shirt.

She braided her hair. Luckily, her one hour bath took away the putrid smell, so she didn't have to cut her hair. 

She wanted to dye her hair; a baby blue, or maybe a pastel pink, or why not?, a neon green. Something that reminded her sisters, or more accurately, her. Bubbles. Yeah, a baby blue. She would have to ask Robin to accompany her to the salon.

She took her bag, filled it and got downstairs.

The kitchen was a total mess; nor the Professor nor Bubbles had enough time to clean it. He had to work in his lab, and for what Bubbles understood, he was preparing something big for the Expo-Sci, in New York. That, and the college where he worked at was taking away his time.

On the other side, Bubbles had the high school, the schoolwork, and she had to save the city every two hours. Even at night, when she was supposed to be asleep. Certainly she had more time, but she spent it with her friends. She couldn't bear the loneliness, the silence, the pain.

She sat in front of the table, where it laid a mug of coffee and pancakes. 

_7:34_

She had time.

"Something interesting today, sweetie?" asked the Professor, sitting in front of her with a newspaper in hand.

"Mmm, nope. Nothing. And you?"

"I think not," he smiled to Bubs. A sad smile. Yeah, there was nothing "interesting" anymore.

She nodded and proceeded to eat her breakfast. In silence. Remembering simpler times.

* * *

_C'mon, Bubs, don't sleep in Mr. Sagan class._

If BC were there, she would be snoring. And Bloss would have rolled her eyes. Meanwhile, Bubbles would be doing the same she was doing at the moment: struggling to not fall asleep.

Mr. Sagan Chemistry class was as boring as fighting against the Amoeba Boys. And that wasn't fighting. That was getting a headache, even a migraine.

Obviously, Mr. Sagan's class wasn't that terrible. No. It was worst. Almost everyone in the class were falling asleep. Jeez. Why this attempt of class did not end at once? 

For the first time in her life, Bubbles would pay for the fucking alarm to snap.

But she couldn't always get what she wanted. 

After another forty minutes trying to survive the class, she was free. Almost. She had another two classes. But before that, was her recess. Today was pizza, and thank the gods it wasn't prepared in the cafeteria.

The halls were filled of students; some at their lockers, some walking to the cafeteria, some running to the next class. No one seemed to notice that the little blonde, ignored by most of them, saved their asses on a daily basis. 

"Bad day?" asked Butch, suddenly at her side. She let him grab her bag.

"Crap week."

"That explains 'ur long face."

"Ha-Ha. You're so funny, Butchy Boo."

"I know, right?"

Bubbles looked at him at the exact moment his smirk made its appearance. Did all three Jojo brothers have that stupid smirk? The kind of smirk that made the girls -and Mike- sigh. Yeah, they were handsome, physically a sort of gods, and they could get any girl -and Mike- they wanted. Oh well, Bubbles was pretty too, and scary for any guy or girl. But not for the Boys, neither for Princess and Robin. And certainly, not for Butch.

She pulled the door, letting it spank in Butch's face. He growled, but didn't say anything; Bubs slightly smiled.

The line for getting food was obnoxiously large, and that could only mean one thing:

"Finally we can pick a damn table!" said Butch, reading her mind.

Yep, they could pick any table, a decent table, without trash and people. 

Bubs visualized one near the emergency exit. Perfect. She wouldn't have to break the walls or the windows if she had to go and save the city. Again.

Butch followed her, still holding her bag. How _chivalrous_ of him.

"Well, I will save our table; you go and get us some food." Again, how _chivalrous_ of him.

She was about to grumble when Butch patted her head, like a dog.

"I'm not a DOG!"

"But you're so tiiiiiiny and adoooorable!"

"I'm gonna show you tiny and adorable, fucking brat!" She would show him what 5'0 feet tall could do to his face.

But not now. She needed food; three pizzas, more exactly, but that wasn't possible. So an enormous slice of pizza would have to quench her hungry.

So, after waiting in the line like for, fifteen minutes or so, Bubbles had three slices of pizza and some juice. She turned back with Butch, who was sitting like he owned the place.

She sat in front of him, handing him over the plate with one slice. He looked at her plate with two slices. HA! That's what the douchebag gets for being a chivalrous guy.

"Fifty-fifty, blondie," he said, making puppy eyes. Puppy eyes? Really? To her? She was Bubbles Utonium, she had mastered that art ages ago.

"Nope."

"Oh, pleeeeeease! I'm hungry, I could eat an elephant!" He stretched out his hand towards her food; she slapped him.

"Well, you must have thought about that before you send me for our food like if I was your slave."

"Please, just please!" Not every day you got to see Butch Jojo begging for food. Bubbles gave a big bite to the pizza.

"If I give you half of MY other slice of pizza, what do I get?"

"An unforgettable afternoon with the most handsome of the Jojo brothers," aaaaaaand, he winked.

"Oh, I thought Brick would spend the rest of his day with Mike. Or that was what Mike told me."

He frowned. Bubbles was about to choke with her food from holding back the laugh.

"I was joking, Butchy!" she said, unable to hold back the laugh anymore.

"Riiiight... But my invitation still stands."

Bubbles stopped laughing. He was serious. Butch wanted to... to spend the afternoon with her.

"I-I mean, if you're free," he said, sheepishly. Was Butch Jojo red as a tomato? Nah, it couldn't be. It must be the light or something. It must be...

She checked her phone. _No messages._

_12:51_

The Professor told her he would be home late. If he left early from work, he would text her. None of them liked to be home alone. They did not liked to be at home at all, but tried to carry on, to keep doing what they used to do before...

Besides, she only had to do the Literature questionnaire and she wasn't in the mood for patrolling -her phone would warn her- so... Technically, she had nothing to do after classes.

"Yes!" Did she say that too loud? "I mean- yes, I'm free. I would like to..." To what? What were they gonna do?

_Calm down, Bubs. It's Butch. Butchy Boo. You know him since five years old. You have spent thousands of days with him. What's the problem?_

"I would like to," was all she said. How lame.

"Great!" he averted his gaze, forgetting about the food.

"Aaaaand..." began Bubbles. Butch returned his sight to her. "What are we gonna do?"

He smirked again. "I'm glad you asked. I've decided to try my luck on the football team. Today are recruiting, and I would be a perfect addition to the team, don't you think?"

How humble.

"I think they are already doing a perfect job without you."

"But they could do better," he leaned on the table, green eyes looking deeply at Bubbles.

"Really?" she said, also approaching him.

Her phone buzzed. It had to be a joke.

_1 message: CH_

"Everythin' okay?" asked Butch. No, nothing was okay in this damn city. Ms. Bellum wanted to see her immediately.

"Yeah, yeah. I-" she handed him over her food. Butch looked at it confused. "I must go. But I see you...?"

"Meet me after Mr. Johannes class."

"Okay. Can I leave you my bag?"

He took a look to her bag and nodded slightly.

"Sure."

Bubbles nodded and opened the emergency exit, heading to City Hall.

* * *

City Hall. Bubbles didn't remember when was the last time she was there, but it certainly was a long time ago. It was cleaner, more elegant, and finally it seemed like it was working as it should.

The once red Mayor office was white, with a feminine touch. Bubbles took a seat in from of the desk, where the Mayor once used to sign contracts and other stupid papers, and eat pickles. But that was four years ago. Now, there was a true leader sitting in front of Bubbles.

Ms. Bellum -no, Mayoress Bellum- was on a call. Her curly red hair had some gray hairs, but her stunning green eyes still glowed with such power and confidence. Like she was the boss. Of course she was; Sara Bellum was the Mayoress, she was in charge long before she ran for it.

Powerful, beautiful, confident, independent. That was Mayoress Sara Bellum. It wasn't a surprise the Professor liked her... but that was something they didn't talk about. Mayoress Bellum didn't have enough time for dates, and the Professor was working so hard on his new inventions to think about love.

Deep inside Bubbles, she hoped that her dad would give himself the chance to love another woman, another girl besides Bubbles, her sisters... She wanted her dad to be happy again; she hadn't seen him smile in a long time, and Ms. Bellum was one of the few people, aside from Bubbles, who could make the Professor smile, truly smile.

_And what 'bout you, Bubbles?_

Sara Bellum hung up the phone, sighing.

"Are you okay, Ms. Bellum?" Mayoress Bellum, reminded Bubs. There were habits that never died.

Ms. Bellum tried to smile, but she failed. "Not at all, sweetie."

"How can I help?" Bubbles wasn't so sure she wanted to help, but it was Sara Bellum, the Mayoress of Townsville, his dad... er, well, they were close.

Ms. Bellum took a breath before she explained the situation.

"Two hours ago, the police captain Perez called me, alarmed, because there was a prison break. Apparently, someone inside helped the prisoners escape. I do not know who, but right know I'm cutting heads, and I will not rest until I found them."

Of course she wouldn't. That's what Bubbles liked the most from Ms. Bellum.

"Do you want me to chase those who escaped?"

It would be easy. They were thieves, corrupts, murderers, rapists... the worst of the worse. But she was Bubbles Utonium, a Powerpuff Girl; she was indestructible, invinc-

She had superpowers, and those poor bastards were nothing against her.

"Yes, sweetheart. But the ones who escaped aren't the ones you are thinking of."

What?

"I called you because three maximum security prisoners were the ones who escaped." Well, shit. Ms. Bellum always fought for maximum security prisoners to be transferred anywhere far from Townsville, just to prevent stupid thing like this.

As long as one of them wasn't Sedusa, everything was perfect.

Bellum passed her three old files, filled with Blossom's handwriting. 

Luckily, Sedusa's wasn't one of them. Nope. They were much worse.

One of the files was from The Duchess. Holy fucking shiiiiiiit! The other two were from Bioking -jeez, what she needed- and Doctor Death -dammit!-. _Those_ were the worst of the worse. She talked too soon.

"This must be a fucking joke," Bubbles muttered, checking the old files. "How is that anybody noticed that they were up to something!?"

"I don't know. But don't worry about that; that's my job. I wish yours wasn't to catch these lovely individuals on your own."

 _On your own._ Those words always resonated to her more than they should.

"Do you have any leads? Did they leave something in their cells?"

"Right now some officers are recollecting all kind of evidence from those cells, taking photos, samples, everything. If you like, I could send everything to you."

"Yeah, that would be very useful." _And considerate_ , said the small voice of Blossom in Bubbles's head. "And considerate, thank you."

She took the files and was about to say goodbye to Ms. Bellum when she interrupted Bubbles. "How are you, Bubbles?"

That caught Bubbles off guard. "What?"

"How are you? Your father? Are you alright?"

That was a complicated question with a more complicated answer. Were they alright? That depended on the aspect of their lives Ms. Bellum was referring to.

"Yeah, we're alright."

"Sure? I know I don't have too much time, but I'm here if you need something. Whatever."

Bubbles needed this city to stop being on the verge of collapse.

"Yes. We... We are fine."

"Okay. Just-" Ms. Bellum seemed to rethink what she was going to say. "Tell the Professor I need to talk to him."

_Oh._

"Of course. I'll tell him." 

And with that, she left. Bubbles walked through the corridors, direct to the exit. She had to check those files, the evidence that would arrive to her house... Was this the "unforgettable" afternoon Butch promised her?

She checked her phone. _No messages._

_1:47_

Townsville was quiet, perfect, beautiful. Bubbles really wished it would stay like that; without a single problem.

Well, she could go back to school to her last class, to her lonely house... or to the school library and start checking the files she had in her hand. 

Blossom would go back to school, 'cause she had priorities, and the first was to receive an education. BC would go home, and the sisters would begin fighting. What would Bubbles do? Follow Bloss or BC?

 _It's your future!,_ said Blossom's little voice in her head, _Your life will not always be fighting evil._

 _Buuuuuuut, you're tired. And getting some rest is more important than trying to not fall asleep in class,_ said BC's voice.

In Bubbles's mind, they were fighting. Which one would win? Ah, it didn't matter. She just... To the library. A midpoint; she was in school, but not in class. Besides, she needed to start working, and faster. Those three supervillians were supposed to rot in prison, not to rot the city.

The good thing about being fast was that she could get anywhere in less than 5 minutes.

In two shakes of a lamb's tail, Bubs arrived to the library, where the students were supposed to do some research for their homeworks, not to sleep. Let's be honest, no student -apart from Mike and Robin- went to the library to do the schoolwork.

Anyway, Bubbles took a seat on one of the big tables, so that she could spread the files's papers. 

**_FILE 001287TDS_**

**_Subject:_ ** _Sasha Greenard_  
_**Alter ego:** The Duchess_  
_**Status:** Alive; Life imprisonment_

 **_Comments:_ ** _The subject MUST NOT be near anything that causes/is cold. Always keep the heating on; all her food must be almost boiling._

 **_Incident:_ ** _November 23rd, 2007; 17:32. Subzero temperatures are reported throughout the tri-state area of unknown origin. A call is made to the meteorological service; there is no cold front report. 19:24. Starts snowing. 19:51. Snow storms are reported; people are ordered to stay at their homes or in the buildings where they are. 20:08. Call to the Powerpuff Girls: search and rescue assistance is required. 20:56-_

Yes yes yes. She knew that. 

There were some photos from that day, and from the next two weeks, 'cause The Duchess was a pain in the ass. Two weeks of the worst winter Townsville had ever experienced. The Duchess almost killed BC and Bubbles; they couldn't withstand the low temperatures. Fortunately, Bloss could. Ice versus ice. It was an awesome battle, according to Boomer. Bubbles only remembered she was about to lose a limb. BC wasn't any better. Even Bloss, after she defeated The Duchess, couldn't warm herself up. She had pushed herself to the limit; Brick had to intervene before Blossy developed cold stress.

Bubbles put aside the file and took another one.

**_FILE 001347BK_ **

**_Subject:_** _Tanner Doyle_  
_**Alter ego:** Bioking_  
_**Status:** Alive; Life imprisonment - Elegible for parole 2019._

 **_Comments:_ ** _Does not require special indications._

 **_Incident:_ ** _June 4th, 2008; 11:41. An earthquake shakes the city. Various damaged properties, electrical shorts as well as water leaks are reported. Seismological Service reports a 7.6 Richter scale tremor, with an epicenter in Farmsville. No casualties. 11:48. Second aftershock. Seismological Service reports a 7.8 Richter scale earthquake. Hotel Magno and the Hopper Building fall down. Call to the Powerpuff Girls: search and rescue assistance is required. 13:21. Multiple aftershocks are reported, all above 6.1 degrees (Richter scale). Evacuation to the suburbs begins. 13:25-_

Yeah, Bubbles also remembered that son of a bitch. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, thunderstorms... it was hell of a week. Finally, they encountered the guy, a moron who thought he was a military man or something.

A petty misogynist bastard. He only recognized the Rowdyruff Boys as true opponents, and they weren't even going to fight him. So BC put him in his place. For the first time, Bloss allowed BC to lose control, to do whatever she wanted against the idiot. For the first time, BC's hands were covered with blood. Bubbles had stopped her before she killed Bioking. They were kids, they only were 8 years old, they weren't... murderers. Blossom didn't say a thing; maybe she also had lost control of herself.

She took the last file.

**_FILE 023400DD - BH_ **

**_Subject:_ ** _Pierre Mostert_  
_**Alter ego:** Doctor Death_  
_**Status:** Alive; Death Penalty; n.d._

 **_Comments:_** _NO ONE MUST TALK TO THE SUBJECT, DO NOT SEE HIM IN THE EYES, DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM. Can only be offered WATER._  
_**Notes:** Both Powerpuff Girls and Rowdyruff Boys in scene._

 **_Incident:_ ** _October 21st, 2008; 15:13. [BLANK] entered the General Hospital of Townsville. General symptoms: fever, malaise, fatigue. Report left ear bleeding; it is attributed to a skull fracture. [BLANK] is hospitalized for CAT and subsequent surgical intervention if necessary. 15:55. [BLANK] is reported deceased. Unknown cause-_

Then, days later, that [BLANK] was called the patient zero. Hundreds of people were infected. Not even the quarantine stopped it. Doctor Death brought a new plague, one not even the girls were immune to. He killed thousands of people, the boys almost been one of them if it wasn't for Bubbles, who received the beam for them. That was all they needed to join her sisters and kick Doctor Death's ass.

Doctor Death was more dangerous than Bioking, more powerful than The Duchess. He gave Bubbles nightmares. The dude almost killed her, and he promised the girls to clean the... _plague_ that flooded the city. Blossom begged the Mayor to transfer the guy to another place, somewhere safer, far away from Townsville.

But the Mayor was busy trying to open the jar of pickles. 

So, here we are. Trying to protect this damn city from itself.

She looked at the clock.

_2:58_

She should be leaving to meet Butch.


	3. Inevitable

Bubbles sat on the bleachers, almost up to see the field, her blue cloth bag on her lap and Butch's black backpack on her left. The guy didn't bring anything; only one notebook and two pens. How could he live like this? And they were only in September; she didn't wanna imagine how he would be at the end of the year.

On the field was the football team, dressed with the classic colors of Townsville High: royal blue and neon orange. Near them were all those who wanted to join the team. She managed to distinguish Butch, a giant black spot, that although he could easily get lost in the sea of boys who were as tall as him, Bubbles identified him by the green aura he emitted.

It was an odd feeling, she had to admit. But both she and the boys, even her sisters, emitted certain energy, which made it impossible for them to go unnoticed in crowds.

Usually, the team recruited long before the school started. Due to the massive monsters attacks and that one of them destroyed part of the high school, they had to delay it until now, which was when the field was finally ready for training and to receive visiting schools.

Coach Arnal, a man in his fifty's, bald and with a temper that rivaled Brick's, was basically yelling at the players. Possibly instructions or some motivational speech. His voice was barely distinguishable; she didn't feel like using her powers to make out his words. Even so, she could see the trainer's drops of saliva, splattering the boys' faces.

Bubbles was sure Butch would join the team. He had superpowers, and that included superhuman strength and super speed -of course, Boomer was much faster, but he barely had any muscle.

The problem wasn't getting into the team; the problem was staying in it.

Arnal demanded good grades from his players, his _boys._ What's more, perfect notes that made the great genius Brick Jojo look like a little mouse. She was sure that if school was about declaring your feelings to the boy you like, the football team would definitely make Brick look like a midge.

On top of that, they couldn't use drugs -she doubted Chemical X counted as steroids, and that either of the guys even thought about it- and most important of all: they had to put up with Arnal's character.

Butch could barely stand Brick when he went into "Big Bro" mode. It was a miracle that by now they hadn't tried to be at each other's throats. Or maybe they had tried but Boomer, always so pacificist and with a worse temper than his two older brothers, had stopped them from commiting fratricide. 

Now that she thought about it, it was a miracle they hadn't commited fratricide. The three brothers, physically and mentally very different, shared that temper. They crashed into each other so much, yelling at each other and sometimes stopping talking over some stupid disagreement; but at the same time, they agreed on many other things.

Not even she and her sisters had that in common.

No no. Bc and Bloss always fought over who should be in charge, what plan was the best, how they should proceed. Bubs would only blindly follow them until one of them realized that her plan was stupid. Or failing that, until Bubbles yelled at them to shut the fuck up; only there, they finally obeyed Bloss' orders. But they never stopped talking.

Arnal stopped shouting and the game started.

She really didn't know what the hell she was seeing or what this recruiting thing was all about. It sounded like they were being recruited for the army.

She just watched the drills and the players, that shouted encouragement words to their soon-to-be new teammates.

A part of her, the part that belonged to Bloss, told her to analyze the files thoroughly. Another part, the one belonging to BC, that she left from there, 'cause she was bored. And the minimum part of herself, told her sisters to shut up for five fucking minutes and let her see Butch.

Wait what?

She meant... she wanted to see how Butch was doing it. Yes, that. Not that she wanted to see Butch in general.

_Bubbles, shut up._

She decided it was better to see all the boys, not just Butch. It wasn't that she didn't wanna see him, he was her friend and had invited her to accompany him as... moral support? Yes, as moral support. If he'd wanted to impress some girl, he wouldn't have called Bubbles. Nope. She was the last girl he would want to impress.

_Bubbles, seriously, shut up._

At one point, she glanced at Butch, who by sheer coincidence also stared at her. He just smiled. She returned the gesture and gave him a thumbs-up, 'cause that's what a good friend did, right? He returned his attention to the field, to whatever he was doing.

Seriously, she didn't know what the hell they were doing, but that wasn't a reason for going through the files like Blossy would, nor getting out of there like BC suggested.

 _You're thinking too much, Bubs. Just relax. It's a good evening, you're with Butch and the three damn supervillians can go to hell for_ _today_.

Yes, they could go to hell. If it were up to her, the whole damn city could go to hell.

Minutes passed, maybe two hours. Her gaze was shifting from Butch to the rest of the boys, to the coach who seemed disgusted with what he saw, to the players who were nervous. And returned her attention to him, who from time to time also turned to see her.

Finally, Arnal called them.

Bubbles put Butch's backpack on her shoulders, which weighed nothing, and her bag on her right shoulder. She started to go down the bleachers.

Several students were also there, watching their friends, talking, enjoying _normal_ life.

It wasn't worth thinking about it. She continued down until she reached the bottom, taking seat again and hugging her bag.

She felt out of place. She was a superhero, a Powerpuff Girl. Kicking criminal asses and destroying monsters was the daily bread and butter. But something told her that that was the only thing she served for. The Professor had created them to help the city, and that's what they did, what she did. However, whenever she sought to do something else, it seemed that it wasn't her element, that she wasn't made to be anything more than Townsville's savior.

Many yearned to be heroes, like her and her sisters. They thought it was something funny, maybe something mystical. Born with superpowers to help the world. They didn't know what being different entailed.

She looked up just as Butch approached, grinning from side to side. She couldn't help catching the joy that he radiated.

"You got it?" she asked expectantly.

"Oh yeah babe!" he exclaimed, expanding his smile even more and puffing out his chest like a peacock. "You're looking at the new tight end of the Townsville Falcons!" he boasted.

Bubbles didn't think twice as she dropped her bag and lunged for him, celebrating. Butch caught and lifted her, also shouting a victory cry as they spun.

The moment he stopped, they realized what they were doing. He immediately put her back on the ground and put his hand on the back of his head. Meanwhile, Bubbles stepped back, blushing, concentrating on the grass.

What was she ashamed of? They're friends. Friends celebrated, didn't they?

"I' gonna-I'm gonna change, okay?" he said, pointing to where the dressing rooms were.

"Okay."

"How about we go to celebrate or something?"

She looked at her phone. _No messages._

_5:19_

"Yes," she said, daring to meet his face. "It seems perfect."

"Good."

"Good."

He stayed with her for another couple of seconds before heading to the dressing rooms. Bubbles blew out the breath she didn't know she was holding. She bent down to pick up her things and slung her huge, heavy bag over her shoulder.

Crap.

She had been acting silly for weeks. It was only Butch, nothing about him had changed. He was still the tanned boy with black hair and green eyes; the tallest of his brothers and the most athletic. There was nothing new about him.

"Hey," a female voice snapped her out of her stun. "You're Bubbles, right? Bubbles Utonium."

Of course it was her! Was there another blue-eyed blonde who flew and had a supersonic scream that saved the city?

_Bubs, don't. Just do your thing._

Right. Smile.

"Yes, that's me." She forced herself to smile. Sometimes being the "Joy and the Laughter" was more tiring than kicking a monster's ass.

"Great! I... I wanted to ask you a favor." The girl, taller than Bubs -why did everyone seem to be taller than her?- and brown-haired stared at her. Bubbles could have noticed her huge eyes if it weren't for the annoying red lipstick she was wearing.

"Sure, how can I help you?" that sounded like something Blossom would say. The girl bit her lip and dug through her jacket pocket. Surely she wanted an autograph. It wouldn't be the first time they have asked her something like that.

"Could you-" she pulled out a paper, "could you give this to your friend?"

Uh?

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, Butch Jojo. You're friends, aren't you?" She handed the paper to Bubbles. She took it, uncomfortable and confused.

"Yeah. Yeah, we're friends," because they were. And because they were friends she should know what the hell that piece of paper was.

"Tell him to call me," the girl winked, putting her hand on her ear like it was a phone. _Oh._

Bubbles nodded slowly. The girl thanked her and walked away, shaking her hips. Bubbles didn't know whether to laugh or what else to do.

Did she seem like the postman?

_Don't lose your temper. She didn't care who you were, just..._

Just that she was Butch's _friend_. Was there something wrong with that? Nope. Nothing. They were friends. F-R-I-E-N-D-S.

Why did she think so much about it?

"Who was that?" Butch said, suddenly at her side. Bubbles jumped in shock and he just cackled.

She hit him with her bag. He raised his arm, covering himself but still laughing. "That," she said, hitting him, "wants you to call her."

"And _-ow-_ how _-ow-_ am I _-ow-_ gonna _-stop hittin' me-_ call her?" She stopped her attack to hand him the slip.

"She gave me this."

He took it and opened it.

"Cam? Do we know someone named Cam?"

"We don't. Mitch and Princess maybe yes."

He shrugged and crumpled the paper, dropping the ball into his jeans pocket. Well, either he wasn't interested or he would see it later. She didn't care.

"Shall we go?"

She nodded. Butch took her bag, not accepting her claims. Bubbles was strong enough to lift a building on her own; a bag with a couple of notebooks and three thick files were nothing to her.

And why not? He started running.

Bubs could easily reach him; she was much faster than Butch. But where did the fun lay? She chased him across the field and beyond it. She was very tempted to tackle him; maybe coach Arnal accepted her into the team.

That would be very funny. The great Butch Jojo, a giant boy with the strenght of five elephants -even more-, out of the team 'cause a little blonde knocked him down. The thought made her laugh.

Finally she pounced on him, knocking him down. It may well have been an extremely awkard moment or, since they were doing instead of thinking about such nonsense, they could laugh.

"Are you sure you joined the team?" she said, her stomach aching with laughter.

"Almost as sure as Brick when he delivers an exam," he replied, the corners of his mouth forming a smirk.

He got up first, then extended a hand toward her. Bubbles took it, getting up the floor and brushing off her clothes. There was grass and other trash stuck to the sweatshirt.

They kept talking and laughing as they walked -soon they were flying- wherever Butch had planned to celebrate.

Bubs didn't think of her hand entwined with his. Butch didn't make any effort to pull his hand away from hers.

* * *

Twenty hamburgers, five milkshakes, three pizzas and four orders of nachos later, they decided to end their big "celebration" with a huge cup of ice cream. The table was a mess of plates and glasses, pens and papers on her part.

They had decided to finish homework, especially the History essay and the Literature quiz, which neither of them understood.

At some point, she had put her foot right between Butch's feet, and he took the opportunity to cross them and catch her foot. Bubsy tried to pull on her foot, to retrieve it, without success. After some minutes of playing, she gave up, and Butch had stopped using force to stop her. However, her foot remained there.

"What do you have on five?" he asked.

She searched for the question and wrinkled her nose. "I haven't answered it."

Shit. He hadn't understood that stanza of the poem; he was hoping Bubs did.

He looked away from the questionnaire, towards the part of the table with a couple of brown folders. She had pulled them out without thinking too much about them, not caring that someone could see the huge red letters that indicated the file number and that could mean serious troubles.

Right after she had left, Butch had run into Mitch, who mentioned something to him about a prison break. That explained Brick's annoyed and paranoid expression, and Boom's concerned. The three of them were somewhat afraid that a certain stinky ape had escaped, despite Bubs having managed to get him to maximum security.

But when he saw the red code in the first folder, he knew it was someone much worse than the monkey.

He had to fight the urge to reach out and take those files, flip through them. They were surely hand-filled with Blossom's perfect calligraphy, revised by the Mayoress herself.

It was useless to read them. Brick wouldn't let them act. He never allowed them. Butch hated it; he might as well disobey Brick, send him to hell, but it wasn't that easy. Both he and Boom owed everything to the eldest of the Rowdyruffs. He worked, paid the bills, cooked. He did everything so that they could live relatively well and in peace.

The least they could do for him was to abide by his rules and orders. Even if they didn't feel like it.

Butch always wanted to fly out of the observatory, help Bubsy whenever she crashed into a building, when she screamed in agony from a broken bone or bloody murder, when her clothes were damp and not from monsters' body fluids.

Boomer wasn't neutral either. And as much as Brick didn't care, he also had that urge to go help her. How he managed to hold it back, was a mystery to Butch.

She sighed. "This assignment is stupid."

"Mr. Meier is stupid."

Bubsy laughed at his comment. He couldn't help but smile.

It was weird that she smiled without having to force herself to do so. But it was much more difficult to make her laugh, when narrowed her eyes and showed her teeth, unable to suppress the little spark of happiness that still flowed through her.

"Are you done with the essay?" she asked, leaning back on the seat, giving up on the questionnaire.

"Yep." He passed it to her. She glanced at it and looked up at him.

"Really?"

"What? What's wrong with it?"

"Butchy, it's a copy of the book."

"He won't read it."

"You think so?"

"I did the same with last week's, and with the week's before last, and-"

"Okay!" she interrupted him. "I get it. He doesn't check anything and I'm just doing gross extra work."

He wanted to tell her that that was what she was doing, but her expression prevented him from blurting out those words. She looked so tired and overwhelmed. He couldn't blame her; this whole rotten city counted on her. The police were a zero. Ms. Bellum, despite having great power in her hands, wasn't enough to fix the city. The monsters from that damn island increasingly went to Townsville, risking the lives of the inhabitants and that of the last heroine of the city.

Butch sometimes had nightmares where he didn't get there on time, where Bubsy's blood covered the floor and stucked to her hair, and her eyes, a cheerful baby blue, no longer glowed with that power and life she emitted. Other times he dreamed with Butters, in that building, still, lifeless green eyes.

 _That_ was the first time they were late. He didn't want to be late again.

Brick made sure they didn't show up, which was a thousand times worse. How much longer could they go on doing nothing, pretending that Bubsy could do it all?

She took the ice cream cup, putting the last of it in her mouth.

Butch handed her his, knowing she was still hungry. Whenever Bubs began eating with pauses was 'cause she was so hungry that she was trying to trick her stomach.

She looked at him but said nothing and began to gulp down the ice cream. He pretended to focus on the quiz again to hide his smile.

"To hell with this," she declared, dropping the pen on the table. "Besides, it's for Monday. And the essay-"

"It's for tomorrow," he finished for her. He also gave up on the questionnarie. Bah, he'd take Brick's homework and copy it, assuming he had done it. The guy was a genius, the next Einstein, but was the king of procrastination.

"I'll ask for an extension," she muttered. "I save this city every five minutes, I deserve more time to do an essay."

An essay of a page, handwritten. Something even Boomer could do in an hour. He spared the comment; she didn't seem in the mood.

Bubs' phone rang. She checked it, which was always within easy reach. Did she know about that strange tic she had with checking the phone almost every hour? Butch wasn't sure about it, but he didn't say anything.

Bubs tensed and then relaxed, putting the phone on the table. Something was wrong; those stupid files indicated it.

"All good?" No, of course not. Butch might not be as brilliant as the red-haired genius, but he wasn't nearly as stupid as the aforementioned genius who was drooling over Believe.

She cocked her head. "No... No, nothin' is good in this goddamn city."

"I cannot deny you that." The city was collapsing and they trusted that the blondie in front of Butch, fed up with life itself, would lift the city out of the hole it was plunging into.

He was afraid to ask about the files. Bubsy, like Brick, was expert at downplaying many things. She pretended it was nothing, that she could do it alone, that she had everything under control.

 _Alone_. She was alone. Six, almost seven years ago, she still had her sisters. And they were also alone, but they were together. And it wasn't enough. How is it that a single person could be enough against the chaos of Townsville? Every day she looked more tired, fed up.

It was clear, not just to Butch but to the rest of their friends, that the time would come when Bubsy would give up. He couldn't blame her, neither of them could. In fact, they prefered that she gave up than to try to save the city and lose her life in her attempt.

No... they couldn't bear it. Not again.

Butch couldn't see those lifeless eyes again. His own brothers couldn't either.

"I gotta go," she said. "I need to receive some packages."

He nodded and asked for the bill. A stratospheric bill, surely. But being with Bubs, the superhero of Townsville, had a 50% discount. Well, a small advantage from saving the city.

While they waited for the check, Bubs began to sort her things and put them in her enormous bag. What was the need to bring so many things when you could write down everything in a single notebook? That assuming he jotted everything down and not just the odd things they mentioned that were important. And that's if he found a pen.

A few minutes later, the bill was paid, Bubsy's things were already packed as well as Butch's, and they were outside, walking through the parking lot. He didn't have a car or anything like that; Brick made it very clear to both brothers that the only one driving would be him, that he didn't need to add another problem to Bubbles' list with two wacky idiots at the wheel.

Man of little faith.

They might be good drivers if Brick bothered to teach them. But Butch doubted that would happen.

If he knew how to drive, he could take the blondie next to him wherever she wanted, give her a little break from flying everywhere at full speed.

And speaking of blondies, Bubsy was going sideways. How much sleep did she get? Five hours? Was she sleeping?

He ran his hand under the handles of the bag, taking that weight off Bubs. She must be too exhausted to claim him. Or maybe she was just thinking about how to solve the next big problem the city was in, analyzing each possible solution and which one was the best.

He had to admit that he never thought that the youngest of the sisters, the one who followed orders and hid behind her sisters, would be able to plot as fast as Bloss, to punch as hard as Butters.

Without uttering a word, she began to rise. Butch just followed her; he guessed she was heading home. He had no problem accompanying her, after all, both he and Robin and Mike, knew she didn't like being alone.

The trip, although it must have been short 'cause they were not that far, seemed to last hours.

They landed on the sidewalk outside her house. At the same time, a white truck arrived; surely they were the ones who must deliver the packages she had mentioned.

"Are you Bubbles Utonium?" asked one of the men who got out of the truck.

Was there another blonde with blue eyes who flew at the speed of light and had a powerful left hook?

"Yes," she replied, in that sweet, high-pitched voice she reserved for all citizens. "It's me," and of course, she smiled. Butch hated that smile; it was so fake and forced.

Bubsy headed home, Butch hot on her heels. She opened the door and indicated the men where to put whatever they had to deliver to her. He simply left their things in the living room's floor, taking a seat on that huge gray, once blue sofa. She stayed near the door, holding it and keeping her expression.

The guys, big and fat, accomodated box after box in that space. When finished, they gave a table and a pen to the blonde, who signed and said goodbye to them, closing the door softly.

Finally, the smile was wiped from her mouth and she grimaced at the eight, perhaps nine boxes of one cubic meter each one that she had to go through.

Before anything else, she took out the phone and typed something on it. Maybe a message. The reply was immediate. She twisted her mouth, typed something else and tucked it back into her jeans.

She sighed.

"Comfy?" she said, looking carefully at the boxs. Butch didn't think she realized he was there.

"Not really," he replied. "If you could get me somethin' to drink, would be perfect." He stretched out his legs, making it clear he was willing to make himself more comfortable.

"How funny," she came closer to him and shoved his head. "Hey, the 'unforgettable afternoon' was seeing how they accepted you to the team?"

"Nope. I had another plan after that but," he pointed out the boxes with a nod, "apparently you were already having an 'unforgettable afternoon' without me."

Bubs looked at the boxes, jaded. For his part, Butch reached out the remote and turned the TV on, more to generate noise than to watch it.

She returned to the boxes, opening the first one and rummaging its content. Well, that meant Butch could stay with her for a while, keeping her company.

He looked at the blue bag on the floor. He was curious to know who the hell she was facing, who she had to save the city from.

"May I?" he asked, holding the bag towards him. 

"Uh-huh," she replied, not paying much attention to what he was doing. Technically he had her consent, but it was clear that she didn't know what she was giving her permission to.

"Bubs?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean if I can read them," he held up the bag to make his point. She turned to see him, distracted. When she finally processed what he wanted say, she seemed to petrify. So it was a no?

"Weeeeell... yeah," she said, pulling a portrait out of the box, more to distract herself than to analyze it. "Anyway, everyone will find out..."

Without thinking twice, he pulled the files out of the bag. There were three folders, thick, all with big red letters on the front.

_**CLASSIFIED - X1287  
DANGER - MAXIMUM SECURITY** _

He put two aside and opened the first. At the beginning was a photo of a woman, tangled white hair and turquoise eyes, in the orange prison uniform. She was pale; she seemed carved from porcelain, with each feature so fine that it seemed that the slightest touch could break her.

The Duchess. It was impossible to forget her. She was beautiful, even breathtaking. Her beauty rivaled her withered heart. Or in this case, frozen heart.

Not even Brick could produce enough heat to survive the cold that hit the city. The volcano didn't help either. He remembered hearing Butters screams, probably from something broken or for her sisters.

Through the observatory windows they watched the ice fight. Blossom vs. The Duchess. To see who was cooler. Each gust of wind that The Duchess released froze the environment more, to the point where no fire could be produced. Brick was basically powerless. And not just him, Butch and Boom either. The cold was such that the girls' powers -and theirs- turned off in order to keep them alive.

Thank goodness, Bloss was colder than an iceberg, allowing her to keep fighting. Although when she managed to freeze the madwoman, Blossom also began to feel the effects of the low temperatures. The ape, to the boys' surprise, ordered Brick to go get her.

Since The Duchess was no longer unleashing the next ice age, the temperature rose again, so their powers had returned.

Brick took the redheaded girl to the observatory, who clung to him as if her life depended on it. And it was so. She was turning into an iceberg, literally. The heat that Brick emanated was the only thing keeping her from freezing entirely.

That night they didn't sleep. Blossom couldn't get warm, and the streets were still covered in snow, so the Professor couldn't go get her. Her sisters continued recovering from the cold wounds. Exposing the redhead back to weathering would only make her situation worse. So they chose to increase the temperature of the observatory, take advantage of the volcano. Between the three brothers wrapped Bloss in hundreds of blankets, and even they used their own body warmth to try to help her.

Butch didn't even read the file. He remembered everything, as well as Bubs. Surely it brought details of the incident, the life of the crazy woman, photos, investigations, the trial... he didn't need to read it when he had seen it, lived it.

Shit. SHIT! Bloss barely survived The Duchess, and that only by the fortune of having ice breath. How the fuck was Bubbles going to stop that crazy, insane woman if she couldn't bear the cold that woman produced? Not even Brick, with fire in his veins, could cope with the low temperatures.

He dropped that file on the floor and took the other one.

 _**CLASSIFIED - X1347  
** _ _**DANGER - MAXIMUM SECURITY** _

Another photo. A bald, black man with a hideous scar that ran across his face from end to end, past his right eye. He was also wearing an orange uniform, which apparently was too small for him.

Bioking. The most misogynistic jerk he'd ever met. 

They were on their way to rob a jewelry store when another earthquake rumbled through the city. Perhaps the San Andreas fault was already following suit; that's what Brick said. Until that man emerged from the earth, dressed as a soldier, issuing orders as if he was the one in command.

Nobody ordered the Rowdyruff Boys. The only one who commanded them was Brick, and he commanded himself.

When the girls appeared, they decided to enjoy the show. She had to admit that the guy's attitude was disgusting. Nothing he said made sense. Women only served to please the man? Suuuuuure.

That was the dude's biggest mistake: talk.

Butters did kick his ass with everything she had. Neither Blossom nor Bubbles got into that fight. But the boys did. Buttercup could be aggressive, but not violent. She could kick Butch and his brothers ass, but she never looked for blood. Until that moment. Blossom just watched her, unfazed by the blood on her sister's hands. She wasn't even listening to Brick, who was shaking her by the shoulders.

Between Butch, Boom and Bubbles stopped Butters, before she killed the man with her bare hands.

And after thinking for at least two seconds that BC was terrifying, he changed his mind when Bubs started yelling at both sisters. Even Brick flinched at her scolding.

Maybe that moron was a piece of cake. But if he was working alongside The Duchess, this could get complicated.

He looked at Bubbles. She was still busy examining the items from the boxes. She had sat cross-legged on the floor, with a pile of personal belongings of the criminals around her. What did she hope to get out of those things? Only she knew. Her brain schemed with the same cunning and speed as Brick's. And like him, only she could understand and follow her thinking.

He looked at the last file. This was different. It had the biohazard symbol.

**CLASSIFIED - X23400**  
**DANGER - MAXIMUM SECURITY**   
**_BIOHAZARD LEVEL 5_ **

There were only two subjects who posed as biohazards. And only one of them was the reason of the CDC creating a level 5.

He put the file on his lap. He wasn't sure he wanted to see the individual's face behind the plague mask. The responsible of a new plague. One that none of them, even with Chemical X, were immune to.

They were sure the girls, busy with the guy who was making everyone sick, would not notice them robbing a food court. How wrong they were. The blue Puff appeared a few blocks from them. And she lunged at them, but not to stop them. That would have been the ideal.

She went straight to receive a "beam", 'cause Butch wouldn't be fast enough to create a shield, and Boomer couldn't get them out of there in time either. Brick also wouldn't act so fast to get in front of his brothers, protect them from whatever was heading their way that no one could see. Neither Bloss nor BC could see that "beam".

But Bubbles could. And that made her the only one who could stop the plague.

She just lunged towards them, standing in front of them, receiving the invisible blow for them. The little blonde, always cheerful and sweet, smiling and alive, laid immobile, beginning to change color to a greenish-grey. It was a matter of time before there were only two Powerpuffs left.

Her sisters, in panic and anger, went after the son of a bitch who hurt Bubsy. There was no exchange of words between them, they only accompanied the girls, with the same disposition as the girls to kick the idiot's ass until he begged them to stop.

And so the damn Doctor Death did.

Butch felt his head was about to explode, as well as an immense urge to vomit. It's not like he agreed with everything Mitch said but, he was right to say that Townsville was cursed, rotten.

It was getting worse. The police were useless. And there was only her, who could no longer hold Townsville.

The city no longer had salvation. Just... Bubbles was just delaying the inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time we'll see Bubbles a little in action!  
> Hope this story isn't boring or something :)


	4. The Price of Chemical X

_No messages._

_2:57_

She put the phone back in her pants. She tried to focus on the conversation of the two girls in front of her, unsuccessfully.

She kept going through the contents of all those boxes.

The Duchess, once a warm and loving woman, happily married and with two small children... she still carried them in her mind, but not in her heart. Or so Bubbles thought, according to the photos and the little journal the woman wrote in. The Duchess' entire life changed overnight, when she woke up in the hospital after a car accident and she was the only survivor.

Bubbles had never heard of someone whose heart grew cold after such a loss, at least not literally. Other than that, the rest of the information about The Duchess was useless. Nothing was useful for her to stop the woman. According to reports, it remained unknown how she obtained her power, and how she was able to survive it.

As for Doctor Death, no one knew anything about him other than his name. His face was repulsive to look at, enough to make her nauseous. The guy had no place to drop dead. And that was another question; the guy couldn't die. Or that's what the lab tests concluded. That would explain how he was able to survive the same plague that he transmitted, but not the mechanism that allowed him to.

And Bioking... once a renowned colonel who, against the orders of his superiors, entered facilities that he should not, with the simple objective of fulfilling the mission. And that cost him dearly. Idiot already was, it wasn't necessary to add powers to that idiocy to magnify it. Without family, the few friends he had didn't survive... he had no one, but unlike Doctor Death, he had at least some. And unlike The Duchess, he didn't bother to remember them.

She just had a bunch of stuff piled up in her house that gave her no clue of the whereabouts of the individuals, much less how to stop them.

A couple of excited screams brought her out of her trance.

She looked at the girl with curly red hair, who was looking at the other girl, with brown hair and blue diamonds as eyes, as if there was no other girl in the world. They had held hands and were smiling. Why were they smiling?

Bubbles hated when her mind began to wander, to focus on other things that momentarily had no solution. But she hated more being the third wheel.

She tipped her head back, letting the sun hit her full in the face. They were on the main stairs of the high school, waiting for the boys. It was a nice Friday evening, no problems at the moment, and they wanted to go out to the park. Mike and Mitch had proposed going to the cinema, but it was two against six, and democracy was defended in this country. So, their proposal went to hell.

And speaking of boys, where were they?

"Brick is possibly waiting for Mike; you know, Mike is the last of us to get out," Princess replied to the question Bubs hadn't realized she'd asked aloud.

"As for Mitch, I think he was gonna see if the couch didn't need him today," Robin continued. "'Cause, you know, they continue training the new-"

"-And Mitch is the team 'star'," Princess finished. Bubbles snorted; indeed Mitch had certain privileges for being Townsville High 'star', no matter how much he denied it.

Well, there were three, two more were missing.

"Ladies," greeted a blue-eyed blond, almost as similar as Bubbles. All that remained was to find out the whereabouts of one boy.

"Boom-Boom," Robin waved back.

Boomer sat on Bubs' left, right behind Princess. He wore a cute smile, naive even, worthy of the "Dumber than the Dumbest". Anyone who tried to fool Boom would realize that the worst mistake they could have made would be to underestimate him. When the situation called for it, Boomer could be more observant that Brick, much quicker of thought than Bubbles.

"Where are the others?" Princess asked impatiently.

Boom checked his phone, as if looking for any messages from them. "Seems to me that Mike hasn't come out yet, so Brick still not come. Mitch told me he would come soon -that was 'bout fifteen mins ago. As for Butch, surely the idiot forgot his locker combination."

Princess puffed. Despite no longer being so obnoxious, she was still impatient and slightly pedantic. But she was more bearable, and Bubbles appreciated her the same way she appreciated Robin. Nor should she forget that Robin was crazy about Princess, and vice versa. What a plot twist after hating each other for most of their childhood.

"-eone to homecoming?" Robin was saying. Seriously, Bubs hated to ramble.

"Oh yeah. I asked him this morning, and he said yes," he smirked. The girls made a little noise of surprise.

"Well, who is?" Princess said, clearly willing to find out who stole Boom's gaze.

"Oh, you'll see," he replied, waving his hand.

"Oh c'mon, Boomie!" Robin pleaded. "At least tell us what is he like."

"He's gorgeous," he said, almost sighing. Even the girls seemed delighted with that vague description. "He is tall, strong; his wavy blond hair glows in the moonlight, and those blue eyes-"

"I'm gonna guess," Bubbles interrumpted. "It's you, isn't it?"

He smiled, pleased. Princess and Robin jus made an exasperated noise. Bubbles didn't know wheter to admire his self-love or feel sorry for him. Boomer was handsome, she wasn't going to deny it; maybe not like Butch, but he had his charm. He could be the class clown, but he was also smart; maybe not like Brick, but he could go along with the older Rowdyruff. He might as well invite someone to homecoming.

"How did you know?" he said, a little laugh spilling from his mouth.

"For the exaggeration of how handsome he is."

"And what 'bout you?" he asked, looking at Bubs curiously.

"What about what?" She leaned back, on her elbows.

"Who are you going with?" Boomer said, raising his eyebrows.

Excellent question. Question that had no answer and even if it had, she wasn't going to answer it.

"With no one," she looked up to the sky to avoid the murderous gazes from the two girls in front of her. "I'm not going."

Claims rained down on her. She knew she shouldn't say that, but it was the truth. She wasn't going, she didn't want to. Whenever there was an event like that, the city got into trouble. And with three mad people out of prison, she didn't have time to think about that ridiculous homecoming. Besides... no one had invited her to go, and she didn't have as much self-love as Boom at her left to go alone.

"Why not?" Robin asked annoyed, his huge eyes glaring at her.

_Because there are three mad people free out there and I have to catch them before they kill us all._

It was a good answer, but it would make Robin paranoid, Princess furious, and Boomer worried. No, she didn't need that. It was enough that it was known that there was a prison break, she did not need the panic. Of course it would be a matter of time before they found out who the three mad people who had fled were, but she preferred that they know when that people were already behind the bars... or when they attacked the city and tried to kill Bubs. What happened first.

In the meantime, she had to think of a good answer. Something for them to leave her alone for the next week.

"'Cause I don't..." Not what? Did not wanna go? It was the truth. Well, partly. Blossom would have preferred to stay at home, perhaps scour the city for clues, for something that would tell her where the criminals were hiding. Buttercup would have accepted to go to homecoming, but surely she would have as much self-love as Boom to go alone. And as for Bubs... well, she did want to go, but she didn't want to be dancing alone all the time. "No one has invited me," she declared in the end.

Honestly, that was the most pathetic thing that could have occurred to her.

A chorus of "aaaaah"s followed her excuse.

"Aw, Bubsy," Boom said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I have the solution to your problem."

Oh yeah? Did anyone really want to date her? Who would be the brave one who would dare to take the little blonde out to dance? The only two times she agreed to go out with someone, the two boys ended upset with her because she flew out to save the city. She never understood the reason for that annoyance; the date was going to hell, they hardly approached her, much less were going to have a coherent conversation with her. And they knew who she was and what she did; the city wasn't going to save itself, by the work and art of the Lord.

As for the rest of the boys in high school, they just admired her for being the one who saved their butts on a daily basis. Or in the worst case, they were afraid of her. C'mon! Bubbles wasn't going to do anything to them. She had super strength, she flew, released energy beams, electricity flowed through her just like Boom, shot laser beams through her eyes, and screamed worse than a banshee. Okay, maybe she could kill them, but she could control herself. She could seem like someone normal if that's what they wanted so badly.

"Really? Enlighten me," Bubbles replied, sure that whoever had Boom in mind would run off as soon as they saw who they agreed to go with.

"You will love it," he said, smiling. The girls looked at Bubs and then Boom, their eyes betraying complicity. Had Bubs been distracted again that she hadn't heard who they were talking about? "He's almost as handsome as me. Slightly taller, much more muscular," it seemed like Boom was fantasizing about this guy. "He's tanned, and not that cheap machine-made tan, no sir. Tanned by the sun, au naturel." Maybe Boom should invite the 'natural tan'. "His hair is as black as night, always in spikes but sometimes he decides to throw it all back, which makes him look more graceful. Oh, and let's not forget those bright eyes. They even glow in the dark. As green as-"

"-Emeralds," Bubbles finished, not realizing that she had said it instead of thinking it.

Robin gave her knee a nudge, and Princess smiled until she showed her teeth.

"Very good, Bubsy!" Boom exclaimed pleased, shaking her.

_I said it, didn't I?_

"I'm sure if I tell him to stop being a sissy, he will ask you to homecoming," Boomer continued.

_Yes, I did. Dammit._

"Let's see if I understand," she said, risking their misinterpretation of what she was about to say. "Are you saying that your brother is the solution to my problem?"

"I see it as the perfect solution to your problem," said Robin, poking Bubs' knee.

"And I as the solution to _all_ your problems," Princess said.

"Indeed, Bubsy," Boom shook her again. " _Butch_ will be more than happy to invite you to homecoming."

Bubbles could attack saying she believed he was referring to Brick, which would expose her more. Because obviously Brick didn't have black hair, nor was he taller than Boomer, nor was he extremely muscular, much less had those glowing green eyes that shone at all hours of the day, always changing color, always so alive, always ready to run to her aid despite the orders of the eldest of the brothers.

Nope, Brick definitely didn't fit the description of her ideal guy.

_What?_

No! No, she was referring to the ideal guy of... of any girl. Because all the girls wanted someone tall and strong with green eyes and cackle of a hyena. Or was it someone tall with blue eyes? She looked at Boomer. Nope, that wasn't her ideal guy.

 _Bubsy, stop thinking_.

Butch? Invite her to homecoming? No. They were friends, just that. There was nothing else. And he would surely invite that girl, Cam.

"I don't think so," she said, as calmly as she could. "He... maybe he already invited someone."

Had her voice really gotten so tiny?

"Nope," Boom assured. "He himself said that he still hadn't found the _ideal girl_ to go to homecoming." Why was he winking at her?

"I think yes," Bubbles contradicted, explaining what had happened with the girl with the annoying red lipstick.

" _La Diabla Roja_ ," Princess hissed. Bubs might well have burst out laughing if it wasn't for the redhead's annoyed face.

"Who?" she asked.

"Camila Yancey," Robin said. "She always wears that annoying red lipstick."

"And she's a whore," Princess said. Was there something between this Cam and Princess?

"Are you saying it because of the red lipstick?"

"She says it 'cause Cam always want to hang out with..." Boomer broke off, thinking of the right word. "Well, with the popular ones. And takes things to the extreme, you know."

Ah gee.

"How is that?"

"Yeah. A few months ago she approached Brick to try to make a conversation -from what Brick told me, the girl was getting over him. But you know how he is." The most sullen of the sullen. Unless you were his friend -or Mike-, Brick avoided speaking to any other human being.

"She tried dating Mitch last year," said Robin. "But he had his mind set on basketball that he completely forgot about the girl. And also with Martin, the quarterback."

"Buuuuuut," said Boom. "She's not Butch's type. I know my brother, and I know that his isn't the brown-haired with penetrating red lips."

Really? So what? His type were the short blue-eyed, banshee-yelling blondes? In that case, what extravagant tastes Butch had.

Bubbles was about to retort when four boys appeared in her field of vision.

Brick was grinning like a fool to Mike, who had nothing more and nothing less than his arm in the readhead's. And, oh surprise, the red cap that Brick always wore and loved more than his own life, lay on Mike's head. So stupid those two.

To the right of the lovebirds, Mitch stood with Butch; both were trying to quietly get away from the lovers.

They got up from the stairs and stood still when they heard something snapped. Bubbles didn't feel like moving; something on her back looked like it had moved, or broken, or something abnormal had happened to her back that made her stay in the position she was in.

Boomer looked at her in dismay. "You're good?"

If she spoke, would something else break?

"All good," she said, taking a deep breath and moving again. This time, nothing snapped.

"It's about fucking time!" Princess demanded. Something told Bubs that if Princess had the power of fire, she would be blowing smoke from her nose. Robin simply smiled, guiding Princess down, taking her hand. How subtle.

Brick and Princess started arguing about what they were going to eat. Mike and Mitch kept insisting on going to the cinema. Robin supported what her sweetie said. Boomer was trying to calm them down. And Bubbles just listened to them in silence, pleased to be with them. She began chatting quietly with Butch, complaining about homework and classes, and about the four idiots in love who insisted that nothing was what it seemed. She didn't think too much when he took her bag from her shoulder, nor when his hand went to take hers.

* * *

"Lilac!" Princess declared, lying on the grass, her head in Robin's lap. A chorus of boos was the answer to the color of her dress for homecoming. Didn't she know a color other than purple or gold?

Of course, Robby nodded at each new color, derived from purple, that her sweetie proposed.

Wasn't it better to go in something much more informal, to follow the theme of the party? Princess had informed him and Mitch that she had been inspired by the 70's, something from the 80's, even going so far as to get a disco ball. And being Princess, the smug heir to the enormous Morbucks fortune, she had demanded that the music had to be from those times.

Because of course, everything had to be perfect or they would be "fired". Princess knew that didn't make any sense? Mitch simply said yes, only for Princess to leave him in peace. Boomer had also agreed, though he hadn't really listened to her until Robin repeated it more softly.

What did Robin see in the billionaire Princess Morbucks? She was pretty, Boomer couldn't deny it. It's not everyday you see a redhead with perfect curls and hundreds of freckles covering her face and part of her arms, contrasting with her ebony eyes. Her attitude, over the years, had changed. Before, she was unbearable, hateful, pedantic to the limit. She was certainly more tolerable, patient, even friendly. Brick seemed to have a certain affection for her, enough to stop her every time she tried to put on her golden suit to help Bubs.

Still, Boomer didn't understand what had Princess that could have captivated the blue-eyed girl. Maybe it was that that same girl captivated Princess, 'cause she was the only one -besides Brick- who could calm her down and put a stop to her when she was behaving very impulsively.

Princess mentioned another color again, but neither did she get the acceptance of any of them. What was she worrying about? Whatever she wore, Robby would still see her as if she were the one who put the stars in the sky. Something told Boomer that Princess would pay someone for doing so to conquer Robby.

Boom, from where he was sitting on the grass, threw his arms back, bringing some relief to his back. He stopped looking at the girls to look at Brick and Mike. Another pair of lovers.

It wasn't every day that you could see Brick Jojo, "The Bludgeoner", the long-haired, fire-breathing redhead, leader of the Rowdyruff Boys, looking like an idiot in love at Mike Believe. Even his precious red cap, which he never took off and that neither Boom nor Butch could even see, was on Mike's golden brown head.

Whenever one of the two brothers told Brick how obvious he was, Brick would hide himself by saying that either it wasn't their business, or that Mike didn't like him. Curious; he'd never denied that he, Brick, liked Mike. Boom said nothing, it was a matter of time for his brilliant but idiotic brother to realize the nonsense he was saying.

Nor should we forget Michael Believe, even more obvious than Brick. Boomer might be the "Dumber than the Dumbest", but he wasn't blind, and he always noticed all those times Mike put his arm in Brick's, or when he very "discreetly" put little notes in the redhead's locker. What those notes said, only Brick knew.

The only time Boom was within sight of the content of one of those papers, his hair was scorched. Unlike Butch, Boomer still had some sense of survival.

Ah, Butch, who hated being called "Butchy Boo" unless it was a 5-foot-tall, blue-eyed blonde, strong enough to throw him and patient enough to not go crazy listening to the green Rowdy.

Boom averted his gaze from the oldest of his brothers to see, right next to the girls, Butch, with a blonde head on his lap, laughing.

 _That_ was the reason why Boomer didn't say anything to Bubs, and he rarely made that mention to his brother. It was very rare for Bubs to laugh, it was basically impossible to make her laugh, but Butch was very good at doing it. There was nothing forced in her laugh, in the smile she gave to his brother. The bit of happiness that was still in her came to light with Butch, rarely with any of the others.

He had to tell his brother to act like a man, not like the redhead who went into the blue screen with Mike, and asked Bubs to accompany him to homecoming.

'Cause just as Butch managed to make Bubs happy, she made him relax. Butch was very much like BC, a garter so stretched it was nowhere to be broken, with so much energy and fury flowing through him that he might as well be a nuclear bomb. However, the mere presence of Bubbles soothed him, as if she absorbed that murderous energy from him to unleash it on some monster that decided to attack the city.

Also, those two looked at each other the same way Princess and Robin, Brick and Mike, with one little detail: they _always_ ended up holding hands.

Again, Boomer was stupid, not blind.

And those two were made for each other.

Not for nothing Bubs thought Butch's eyes looked like emeralds, nor did Butch spend most of the day talking about Bubs or texting her. Friends didn't do that.

A series of screams brought him out of his mind. Bubs sat up, alarmed and tense, ready to jump into danger. Butch also became alert, looking around and at Bubs.

Bubbles got up, searching for the sources of the screams until she found a group of people, perhaps in their thirties, pointing to the sky. They all followed the direction of those hands.

A plane, with fire and smoke churning in its turbines, leaving a trail behind it, was descending uncontrollably. It was still too far away to crash immediately, but Boom guessed it could end up at or near the skyscraper.

Bubs' phone began to ring. The great alarm that always warned her when there was danger. She pulled it out of her pocket and quickly read what the threat was about. Well, obviously it was a plane falling and with no possibility of making an emergency landing. Bubbles returned her attention to the sky, to the plane, her eyes twinkling and moving rapidly, as if searching for something on the plane so she could stop it.

"Shit," she muttered. She then flew hurtling toward the plane, a baby blue trail marking her path.

* * *

She knew her good Friday evening would be ruined with something. Although she didn't think it would be with a plane burning in flames and falling at full speed. By the face of the pilots, it was difficult, if not impossible, to make a forced landing.

Bubbles positioned herself to the left side of the plane, just below the turbine. Fire and smoke were concentrated on it; it still worked, but not properly. She went to the one on the other side; that no longer worked.

She flew to the bottom of the plane. She could pick it up, raise it again, and carry it to the runway. Only she wasn't as strong as BC to withstand a plane with everything and passengers and luggage. She also didn't know if, if she could carry out that feat, she would hold out long enough for them to reach the airport. There must be another way.

And she remembered.

Once Bloss stopped a plane, holding it by the tip and braking it. That had to work.

She headed forward, toward the tip of the plane. Bubs hugged that part of the plane, preparing to use all the strength she possessed to slow it down. She saw the pilots, who immediately understood what she was going to do.

"CAN YOU LAND IT!?" She felt that an insect got into her mouth; she spat. That's why she hated talking when she flew.

One of the pilots nodded energetically, rolling his eyes everywhere; the other pilot was speaking rapidly. Bubbles came to catch certain words, such as "brake", "forced", "runway", "emergency", "belts".

They pointed her to the left. The clearing between the city and the forest, enough space to land without risking anyone's life. The perfect place.

The problem, in addition to the failure of the turbines, was tacking there. Bubs didn't know much about airplanes -it's not like she had a need to use them- however, she knew enough from Blossy's books. The left wing ailerons were missing; the plane had lost them somehow, as well as several other parts whose names she did not remember and didn't care.

She had to save the people on that plane without putting those on the ground at risk.

Apart from using her strength to stop the plane, she also had to use it to turn. Well, maybe she wasn't as strong as BC, but Blossy wasn't as strong either and was able to stop a plummeting plane. Bubbles could do the same.

She squeezed the tip, squashing it, and began to push, redirecting the plane to the left at the same time.

The muscles in her arms, abdomen and back began to burn, as if they were tearing. The Chemical X in her system had to work at its best to repair whatever was hurting, breaking, destroying.

Did Bloss feel that when she brought a plane to a stop? Maybe yes, in the same way BC did when she stopped a ship. Bubbles hadn't experienced it; at that moment she'd saved a submarine, but it wasn't as if that thing had come against her on full blast.

At some point she began to scream, both from the effort and the pain. She might have super strength, but that didn't take away the burning or throbbing in both arms. She looked up at the pilots, who were still talking an trying to help her with the only remaining wing. She had to keep turning, stay parallel to the clearing.

Seriously, how did Bloss stop a diving plane without feeling like everything in her body was breaking down and repairing itself so quickly that it was an endless cycle of pain and relief?

Her field of vision filled with images of the city and a couple of trees. They were getting close to the ground, and she had managed to position the plane correctly for landing. Possibly she would have to take it down, 'cause they were still way up.

"DO THE BRAKES WORK!?" She was grateful for a supersonic scream, because otherwise the pilots couldn't hear her. They shook their heads, yelling the answer at the same time.

Well, shit.

* * *

Seconds after Bubs disappeared, Butch was still looking in her direction, clenching his right fist. To help or not?

Boomer saw Brick, about to get up from the ground, ready to stop Butch. Boom had to stop this awkward situation; he needed to distract the green Rowdy and dispel the tension from the red one.

"In the meantime," he began, unsure of what to say to calm the mood. He looked at Robin pleadingly. She bit her lip, thinking of something to distract his brothers.

It was Mitch who saved the day. "Tell us Butch, are you going to homecoming?"

Butch looked away from the plane and looked confused at Mitch, as if he had grown another head. "What?"

"Yeah," Robin followed. "You're going?"

"And with who?" Princess complemented, rogue. She did know how to get to the point.

Butch watched at them, confused. Talking about something trivial while Bubs saved a few butts was not what they normally did; usually the two older brothers began to argue, reaching the screams.

"Uuuuuuuh... yeah, I guess so," he answered Mitch and Robby's question. Then he looked at Princess, raising an eyebrow, puzzled. "And no, not yet... I haven't invited anyone. Why?" he added, slurring the word.

The girls' eyes lit up. Excellent. It was time to mention, very subtly, that there was a certain blonde who had no one to accompany her.

Boomer walked over to his very confused brother and put his arm around him. Butch flinched, trying to get away from Boom's arm. "Weeeell, Butchy-"

"Do. Not. Call. Me. That." He growled.

"Yeah, Boom," Brick agreed. "You need to have long hair tied in pigtails to call him that."

Mike tried to suppress the laugh he was about to let out. Robin bit her lip and Mitch and Princess didn't bother to hide their laughter. Brick just smirked, pleased. Butch was red, like a tomato, pressing his lips together into a perfect straight line. Heh. Speaking of blondes...

"As I was saying," he continued. "Maybe you should invite her." To hell with subtlety.

"Why should I?" Butch said, his jaw tightening. Boom had made no mention of who he was referring to.

"'Cause she doesn't-" Robin cut herself off, rephrasing the sentence in her mind. "She has no one to go with and well, she's your friend, isn't she? You could go together. As _friends_."

How smart.

"Exactly, Butch. You could go together, as _friends_ , and avoid looking as pathetic as me," said Boom. Not that he felt bad about going to homecoming alone, but he knew that Butch hated being compared to his brothers -especially Boom- and he hated even more when someone offended Bubs in some way.

"And what makes you think that she will agree to go with me even if I decide to ask her?" Butch replied. Was his brother really as blind as the other four individuals there?

"She has no one to accompany her," Mitch repeated, still laughing. "I'm sure she will accept."

Butch was about to reply, when a scream made them turn to face the plane. It seem to be veering to the left, into the forest. Right at the tip was a small figure, glowing baby blue, apparently trying to slow the plane down.

Panic began to invade those in the park. Even Brick got up, thinking, analyzing. Should they go and help? To intervene?

Before the red Rowdy gave any indication, Butch flew towards Bubs. Brick started cursing and went after him. Boom... looked at the four normal people who didn't know what the hell just happened.

 _Welcome to my world_.

"How 'bout we follow the two morons?" he proposed.

* * *

Now she not only had to brake the plane in the air, she would also have to brake it on the ground, and that was gonna hurt more.

She looked down; the ground got closer and closer. She heard a noise, possibly the landing gear. She gritted her teeth, preparing for the imminent.

Everything happened in seconds: she raised the nose of the plane, so that the rear axle touched the ground first. When she felt the blow, she lowered the tip, so that the entire plane reached the ground. She pushed, using all her might to slow it down, to stop the plane. The left wing fell when it hit a tree, deflecting the plane. Bubbles had to use more force to help the pilots balance the plane. The right wing began to break, but did not alter the direction.

She no longer felt her arms, and had the feeling that her entire back was going to break from the effort. However, she kept slowing the plane until, finally, it stopped.

She wasn't sure her arms would respond. Surprisingly they did when she released the tip. Until that moment she noticed that her legs were trembling, probably from flying against resistance. Everything ached, burned, and trembled from the strain.

"Got you," Butch said from behind her, holding her. Bubbles slumped against him, exhausted.

In a normal situation, surely she would have taken him away from the site, told him that she had everything under control, that she did not need help. She had protected Townsville her entire life, most of it alone.

However, at that time, she was grateful that Butch held her, 'cause she wasn't sure she could do it on her own.

Slowly, he descended until he touched the ground. He helped Bubbles to lie down on the floor; she didn't think she could stand for a few seconds.

"The..." she said. She was short of breath and was too thirsty. "The... pass... passengers..."

Butch looked at her a moment longer before nodding and heading toward the plane. She heard hurried footsteps in her direction and the first thing she saw was Mike's huge face, hazel eyes full of concern for her. Behind him she made out Princess' hair and Robin's bright blue eyes. 

Someone asked her a question. Mike's mouth didn't move, so it must be Mitch, who she couldn't find. Seconds later, the aforementioned appeared on the other side, a bottle of water in his hand.

Mike helped her sit up, putting his leg behind Bubs for her to lean on. Mitch put the spout of the bottle in her mouth, providing her the water.

Never in her life had she loved water so much as in that moment. Much less did she think she would love Mitch so much for always carrying a bottle of water.

Blossom had never hinted that she was as tired as Bubs. She just went on like nothing the rest of the day. Perhaps the adrenaline of the situation was what kept Bloss unscathed, showing no pain. Or maybe Bloss was stronger that Bubbles, allowing her less effort to stop a plane.

She began to regain the sensitivity of her arms, a relief ran through her spine and abdomen, and the trembling in her legs stopped. Blessed be Chemical X.

"You're good?" Robin asked, kneeling next to Mike and placing a hand on Bubs' leg. From her expression, Bubbles must have looked worse than she felt.

She just raised her thumb, but even that hurt.

She needed to get up, see that everyone was alright, and ask the pilots what had happened, how come the turbines were damaged and they had lost a spoiler. It didn't make any sense. Unless...

She got up, against the protests of her friends who, now that she thought about it, weren't supposed to be there. She had no time to claim them that; she had to find the pilots, ask them to tell her the whole incident before the police arrived.

She straightened, feeling all the muscles in her back and abdomen ripping and healing again. She bit the inside of her lip to keep her groan from coming out and slowly walked towards the plane. She raised a hand to stop her four friends, who would surely be behind to help her in case she faked.

It was an enormous effort to stay upright, put one foot in front of the other, and blink quickly to ward off the tears. She felt the same as when she crashed into five different buildings earlier in the week.

She caught a glimpse of the Rowdyruffs, making sure they all got off the plane. From Brick's face, it wasn't his idea to go help her. However, he wasn't gonna argue with his brothers about it. A part of Bubbles wanted to thank them; the other wanted to hit them straight on the face for helping her. She knew they had no bad intentions, but they had no idea what saving lives entailed, the price to pay for doing so.

She found the pilots: white shirts and a navy blue uniform decorated with gold buttons. They seemed unharmed and were talking to each other. Bubbles approached them, clearing her throat.

_Smile._

Right. She had to smile very cheerfully and speak tenderly. That mix always worked for her to get the information she required.

The erderly men turned to her, and their faces filled with relief and gratitude. In a matter of seconds, they had already said "thank you" at least twenty times each. She was getting tired of smiling, of assuring them that this was her job, of having to mantain her posture. In a couple of minutes Bubbles would fall to the ground, exhausted, and in pain once more from forcing herself to stand up and pretend everything was fine.

"Excuse me for asking," she said before she fainted. "But what happened up there? I mean, how did you lose control of the plane?"

The men looked at each other and it was the oldest of them, possibly the pilot, who answered. "We really don't know what happened. We started experiencing turbulence, nothing out of the ordinary," he said. "But the control tower had not reported anything to us. We assumed it had been overlooked; sometimes happens."

"There was a point where it was difficult to balance the plane," said the copilot. "And we got the first failure warning on the left turbine. We thought we were close to a hurricane, 'cause the turbulence were too strong. Seconds later, the turbine exploded and the other one began to fail."

"The wind was such that it began to detach parts of the finish of the plane and took one of the ailerons. There, the turbine exploded and we started to fall."

Bubbles nodded, corcerned and suspicious. As far as she knew, there were no reports of hurricanes or high winds. Only two people were capable of doing something similar. The only way to find out was to go to the place of origin of the incident, where they began to experience turbulence and where the turbines stopped being functional.

She knew the pilots couldn't give her that information, but the plane's black box could. Maybe Ms. Bellum could give her access to that thing. She had to get the coordinates and go investigate the place, both in sky and on earth.

Bubbles took the pilots' hands and squeezed them a bit, which was a bad idea. She swallowed the pain and assured them that everything was fine and that she would always be there to help.

From so much that she repeated those words, she already seemed to do it automatically, like a robot.

Ambulances, patrols and firefighters arrived at the scene, late. Bubs spared the thought and returned to her friends, the Rowdys now with them. Brick was glaring at Butch, and Butch looked worried at Bubs. And Boomer was trying to get between the two brothers, preventing Brick from trying to commit fratricide.

"Maybe you should approach an ambulance, Bubs," Mike commented. Did she look so fatal? She had endured monsters, bank robbers, Mojo... a little plane falling out of control was nothing to her.

"I'm fine," she replied, smiling. That didn't convince Mike. She did not convince anyone, much less her. She insisted that Chemical X had already worked its magic.

From Boom's gaze, she guessed that this lie was even worse than the previous one. She didn't care and went to take her bag from Robin's shoulder.

Which was the worst mistake she could have made.

She barely had the full weight of her bag in her hand and, in addition to dropping it 'cause it was too heavy, she went forward, as if her legs couldn't balance the weight. She swallowed the cry she was about to utter.

Like a great coordinated team, they jumped on her to stabilize her. Feeling several hands on to hold her was both a relief and an ordeal, because the touch, even soft, was firm enough to give her pain. She didn't know how to express that feeling to them 'cause she was too busy biting her tongue to not cry out.

"I'm fine," she whispered, perharps moaning. She was short of breath and wanted them to stop touching her because it hurt so much. Maybe Chemical X had done magic, but part of the magic didn't include turning off the pain.

When they were sure that she would not fade, they pushed their hands away. Bubbles blew out her breath and set out to reach her bag. Possibly bending over would be just as painful as standing up.

Before she could even mentally prepare herself for the next round of agony, Robin reached down and took it, sparing Bubs the pain.

"All this action made me hungry," Boom declared, saving Bubbles from having to say something. "Last to get to Susie's pays," and he flew. Cheater.

"I'll change that to 'first to get to Susie's pays'," Brick said, taking advantage of his role as the older brother. They agreed with him and began to walk. Surely Brick and Princess would have to go back to the park for their respective cars.

Butch held out his arm for her to lean on. She took it at the expense of the pain that ran through her arm and back, 'cause her legs would not long support her own weight.

Although what she really needed was to be carried to her home, to her bed, and no one to wake her up for two weeks.

She took out her phone. She thanked silently that she had impregnated it with Chemical X, otherwise it would have broken in her heroic feat.

_No messages._

_6:46_

She put it back away and leaned against Butch.

Brick handed Mike his backpack and scooped Princess up, heading back to the park. Just as Bubbles had predicted, they were heading back for their cars.

Mike and Robin go ahead to the avenue, looking for a taxi to take them to the outskirts of the city. Bubs wasn't so sure she could handle a car trip, unless she was allowed to lie on the roof of the car and it was going 10 km per hour.

Butch pulled his arm away and, before Bubs could complain, he slipped his arm under her legs and lifted her up.

She gasped, for Butch's arm behind her back was causing her immense pain. He froze, fearing he had hurt her.

"I'm fine," she repeated. "You caught me off guard," she lied.

BC's voice demanded that Butch put Bubbles down, that she was no useless, much less had been crippled. Bloss' voice told her that Mike and Robin were watching, that they would possibly misinterpret the good intentions of the green Rowdy. She ignored those little voices and let him lead her, settling into arms that, Bubbles knew, wouldn't let her fall.

* * *

The Professor put a cup in front of her. It smelled good, but its appearance didn't quite convince her.

"What's this?"

"Tea," he replied, returning to the stove where he was preparing dinner. Bubbles, despite having eaten quite well, was still starving, and the Professor didn't refuse to cook something for her. "It has a little Chemical X on it," he added, turning to give her a reassuring smile. "It will make you feel better."

Bubs nodded and took the mug, sipping the content. It tasted like lemon, with a hint of bitterness at the end, product of Chemical X. She ignored the taste and continued drinking it, feeling the immediate relief in her stomach.

She relaxed in the chair, enjoying the taste and warmth of that cup of tea.

Princess had offered to drive her and Robin, for which Bubs was grateful, as she wasn't sure she could fly home. Of course Butch had offered to take her, but she decided it was best to decline his invitation; the Professor wouldn't take it as well as the voices of her sisters in her head.

Her phone rang. She took it out of her pocket. _1 new message_. And it was encrypted.

_**From: Mayoress Bellum  
**Code: UTON98bub  
It will give you full access to the black box and to the reports of the plane and the control tower.  
'Night, sweetie._

While they were waiting for Brick and Princess, Bubbles had called the Mayoress so she could listen to the contents of the black box, find out what had happened on the flight. Moreover, she needed to read the flight reports to pinpoint the place and time when things got out of control.

She thought it would take longer for Ms. Bellum to get the permits, but Bubs forgot that she was talking about one of the most powerful women in government, despite only being the mayor of a small town.

She put the phone aside when the Professor came over with a huge plate of bacon sandwiches, a delight for Bubbles. She recalled that there was a time in her life when she declared herself a vegetarian, only to have BC always eating meat in front of her afterward. Blossom had decided to support Bubs, joining her in this new lifestyle.

Lifestyle that went to hell when only Bubbles and the Professor were left and they basically didn't have much time to prepare all those meals. It should be added that saving the world alone gave her quite hunger.

She had a small talk with the Professor; how work had gone, how school had gone, plans for the weekend -they had none; they used to be together in the lab; the Professor with some new invention and Bubs busy with some school work.

The talk progressed to the topic of free supervillians and some possible plan to stop them. Bubbles had only thought of looking for them and taking them back to the prison, forgetting the inter. It wasn't as if those adorable individuals were willing to accompany her to jail.

"Do you have something for the cold?" she asked. She needed something sturdy, warm, that would allow her to move and fight if necessary. 'Cause it would be necessary.

"Yes, but it's not ready yet," said the Professor, sitting across from her and lighting his pipe.

So there was something. It wasn't like she wanted to rush the Professor, but she didn't know when she might face one of those despicable individuals. And the one who worried her the most was The Duchess.

"I'm working on a warm outfit, honey. I estimate that by the middle of the next week it will be ready in case Miss Greenard decides to please us with her visit."

She knew the Professor was trying to hurry; he always tried to finish all those inventions that could help Bubs as soon as possible, without also risking her safety.

Bubbles thanked him, showing a small, soft, genuine smile.

She got up and said good night to the Professor, who would be staying around late, reading the newspaper or watching television. Or in the lab, where he had been too busy lately.

Bubbles went upstairs to the bathroom. She needed a good shower and a massage. She would have to propose that idea to Princess, to make reservations at a spa. Perks of being a billionaire.

She went straight to her room to get clothes and then to the bathroom. Bubs put her things on the toilet and leaned over the sink, sighing. She was exhausted and jaded, but grateful that the next day was Saturday, which meant getting up late and wearing pajamas for most of the day.

She took off the green sweatshirt she was wearing, setting it on the floor. Then she looked at herself in the mirror and gasped.

Her arms, part of the chest that showed the top, as well as her abdomen, were covered with stretch marks that ranged from red to purple, some were even green and other bluish. Came with the territory, she supposed. She did not think the sensation would become visible. They looked horrible; if she ran her fingers over them, the slightest touch sent the signal of pain.

She prayed for Chemical X to work its magic.

* * *

It was a beautiful night, despite the chaos of the afternoon. Bubbles looked at the screen of her phone.

_12:34_

She put it back in the pocket of the gray sweater she had put on. The cold air was beginning to blow; she couldn't help but think that this could be The Duchess' work, until she remembered that the temperature dropped at night and it was late September. It used to be cold. It was normal.

_Normal._

What would have happened to her and her sisters if Mojo had never pushed the Professor, accidentally spilling Chemical X? Would they have been normal? Would they have got together at seventeen? Or would they have been on the list with countless names of those killed by monster and supervillian attacks?

She did not know. She would never know.

"Hey," said a muffled voice beside her. Bubbles shifted her attention from the sky to Butch, who had sat next to her on the rooftop, on the little bench the Professor had set up years ago to admire the stars. Butch was smiling slightly, unsure if she wanted him to be there or not.

"Hi," she greeted, smiling back. His expression relaxed and he moved closer to her.

They were silent for a few minutes, watching the stars and the moon, enjoying the cool and fresh night air. At some point a chill ran through Bubbles, so the green Rowdy took off his own hoodie and draped it over her shoulders.

She rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping his arm with hers. He didn't say anything, just seemed to move slightly towards her.

Her thoughts began to float again, thinking of the would, of everything that could have been and would no longer be. In that pretty dream, Bloss brushed her huge, long mane, while BC pounded a giant chunk of meat. And Bubbles, the Bubbles of that dream, drew them, concentrating on each beautiful red hair of Blossy, in each line of each muscle of BC. And whenever the alarm went off, or an alert came to a phone, Bloss would know what to do, how to proceed, taking care of everything. BC would fight her, only for her to obey the orders of the eldest of the sisters; of the pink Puff, their "Commander and Leader". Buttercup would limit herself to use brute force, to renounce and curse, to threaten anyone who hurt her sisters, so that Bubbles would hide behind her, sure that the green Puff would protect her heart, that the "Toughest Fighter" would always be her shield against pain and agony.

"What are you thinking?" Butch murmured, his face brushing her hair.

"In nothing," she lied. She didn't think he could understand the pain that ran through her veins, with every beat of her broken heart, which always missed her sisters.

She couldn't imagine any of the boys without each other. They fought, they yelled, Brick and Butch used to nearly kill each other, Boom tried to stop them. Brothers, after all. That fought over stupid things but loved each other in their own way. She couldn't imagine Brick without Butch and Boomer, or Butch without Brick and Boom, or Boom without Brick and Butch. A part of them resided in the others. They were a unit, a team. Together they were... invin... invincible...

Bubbles knew the suffering that came with losing most of the soul. She had cried for her sisters, begged them to come back, was even furious at them for leaving her alone. She didn't want to see that same agony in any of the boys. She could barely live with her own.

"Bubbles..." Butch began, pulling her out of her thought again.

"Hmm?"

"You know that... you know that if you need help, you can-" he trailed off.

"Call you?" ended up for him.

"Call me."

_"We can do this alone!" shouted BC, furious, panting, blood staining her green shirt. "We don't need those scum to save us!"_

_"Buttercup!" yelled Bloss, scandalized. "They are not going to save us, they are going to help us!"_

_"You think?" BC said, sarcastic and impatient. Bubbles stopped listening; she didn't want to hear her sisters fight again._

_Blossy's idea didn't sound bad. Maybe the boys could help them; they had done it before. And right now, against that enormous purple monster, they needed a lot of help._

_BC had some deep cut that was staining all of her clothes and she could barely keep fighting. Blossy had cuts all over her face and her "indestructible" bow was in tatters. From the way she stood, it was obvious that she couldn't stand. And as for Bubsy, she had a broken leg and had spit up too much blood._

_They needed help. They needed the boys._

If they had called them, maybe her sisters would have gotten out of there. Maybe the boys would have paid the price. Maybe Bubbles would have had to carry more guilt than she could bear.

She knew Butch meant it well, willing to rebel against Brick for her. That little Bubbles, the sweet and innocent Bubsy, wanted to say yes, accept that proposal and release a certain burden from her shoulders. But the current Bubbles, the one who had lost her sisters, could not do the same to Brick, who always cared for and watched over his brothers. She couldn't break his heart, let him drift because of her selfishness. She couldn't do that to any of them.

She just nodded, unable to break Butch somehow.

"Are you going to homecoming?" Butch asked after a while. A trivial subject to soften the atmosphere.

 _No._ But the words didn't come out. Something in Butch's tone told her that her answer should be yes. Something... _hope._

"Dunno," she said finally. She had many things to do and little time to do them. And she didn't wanna go alone. She just... didn't want to be alone.

"Would you go if you were accompanied by the hottest of the Jojos?"

"I thought Brick would go with Mike," she said, trying to suppress her laughter.

Butch made something like a hound's growl. He got up, annoyed. Bubbles gave up and laughed. It was hurting to laugh, but it was worth it.

"Just kidding, Butchy!" she said between laughter.

She approached to him, floating a little to wrap her arms around his neck and "comfort" his ego. Butch's arms went completely around her, pulling her even closer to him. Bubs continued to laugh against his ear, pressing her cheek against his. She was quietly grateful that Chemical X had alleviated much of the pain.

The moment passed, and she stood there, her arms wrapped around Butch. BC's little voice was dying of disgust. Bloss' was quiet, but in her mind, Bloss was pulling her mouth so tight it was in a straight line. Bubbles did not care. She could be selfish at least in that.

"Yeah," she whispered, answering Butch's question. His arms pulled even closer.

For that little moment, which seemed to last hours, she allowed herself to relax, feel her broken heart to stop hurting and had a chance to heal. She closed her eyes, releasing slightly from the green-eyed boy to hide her face in his neck. Butch held her fully, so there was no need to keep floating. Either he was strong enough to hold her or she weighed nothing.

_Stop thinking, Bubs._

Sleep began to invade her. Maybe she should say goodbye to him, go to bed. Maybe...

A damn phone rang.

Bubs sighed and started to get away from Butch's heat. For not having the power of fire like Brick, Butch gave off almost the same energy. However, she encountered resistance in the arm around her, preventing her from moving away.

She stayed where she was, keeping a little distance between them.

"What?" Butch snapped. A voice answered; it didn't sound angry, but curious and confused. It was propably Boomer, asking where his brother was.

"Yeah yeah," Butch sighed. "You are worse than the red puppy, furball."

She heard Boomer complaining, but Butch cut the call. He turned to see her, his expression indecipherable.

"You have to go," she stated. He nodded, his eyes now revealing that, if she asked him, he would stay.

She walk away from him, Butch didn't stop her this time. "I..." she started, not finding the right words. "Night night, Butchy," she finally said.

"'Night, blondie," he returned. And he left, leaving her alone once more.

Bubbles sat down again. She stood there, Butch's jacket on her, waiting for dawn. The birds began to sing, and the sun began to bathe her face.

Despite the heat of the sun, Bubbles couldn't shake off the chill of loneliness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Noooooow, it's time for us to see how are things in Viletown ;v


	5. A Dangerous Game (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following POV is delicate and controversial. I do not mean to generalize, much less offend someone. I'm guided by what we have heard and the knowledge I have on the subject. Mental health is very important and even more delicate than physical. 
> 
> Read conscientiously.
> 
>   
> (Because the chapter is longer than I expected, I split it in two 😅)

_"We are the Rowdyrock Boys! It's our duty to protect Viletown, to protect every man, woman and child. To defeat the forces of evil. As long as we are here, Viletown will always be safe!"_

_Berserk Plutonium looked at the boy, with his ridiculous red kerchief on his head, his security and honor shining bright and filling every empty space of that rotten city. She turned her head to see her two sisters behind her; Brute making faces of disgust, Brat of mockery. She returned her attention to the front, to the three boys who believed they could save Viletown._

_They swore to protect everyone... Did that include them? Did it include_ her _?_

_Were they naive enough to believe that everyone in that arsehole city deserved to be saved? More than half the population were as wicked as the girls. How would they distinguish the victims from the guilty?_

_Furthermore, could they keep that promise?_

_She fixed her gaze on the blond boy, with brilliant royal blue eyes obscured by the gold frame of his glasses. Despite the striking eye color, his gaze was... empty, cold, and hungry to know everything. Was it possible that there wasn't something that moved in that boy, one of the "heroes" of Viletown? She couldn't suppress the chill that ran through her. She thought of her sister, of Brat, the "Calamity and the Mockery", as disastrous as Berserk and Brute could not be, without ever having that emptiness, that lack of... heart in every mischief she performed._

_Her eyes went to the other side of the redhead, to the boy whose hair was as black as pitch, mint eyes so huge they brough out the... the sadism of reason. How would someone who only used the brain be able to save the city? Was it in his plans to save the day? Her hands began to sweat. Her other sister, Brute, the "Ruthless Huntress", always ready to punch anything, to shed blood... but never with that desire to make someone suffer, to... lose control._

_Were they really heroes? Both boys had that... that twisted idea of_ good _. Or so it seemed to her._

_How much good could knowledge and reason do? Or rather, how much harm?_

_Finally, she noticed their leader, the red-haired boy, bloody eyes but... but. The participants, who were few, applauded their oath, an oath that only the eldest of the Rowdyrocks had recited, but that he did so in the name of his brothers. Yet there was nothing hidden in his behavior, in his words, in his promise. He radiated honor and pride, assuring everyone that he could keep them safe._

_The question was, who? From who? Would he and his brothers protect Viletown? Or would_ he _protect Viletown from his brothers? That was the secret behind the oath._

_Berserk and her sisters taunted them, and they set out to create chaos. The boys began to chase them, to "save" the city._

_The Powerpunk Girls against the Rowdyrock Boys. It was a fun game. A game that would evolve to be all of them against ridiculously giant monsters that wanted to destroy Viletown._

_A game that ended with one of them._

_And some... ~~dumb~~... something... ~~stupid~~... something was unleashed in Berserk._

* * *

_"Am I crazy?"_

_"I'm afraid so, my sweet horror."_

_"And what does that mean?"_

_"That you have no salvation."_

* * *

The smoke was choking her. The strobe lights were blinding her. And she was suffocating with the hundreds of bodies sticking and brushing against her. However, she was made for that. ~~Do you believe?~~ She was _created_ for that life. ~~Yes, you do~~.

She raised her arms, moving with the rhythm of the music, with the vibrations of each note and with the flow of bodies. It smelled of sweat, alcohol, cigarettes, and raspberries, the latter coming from her. ~~Are you sure you smell like that? I'd swear a rotting corpse stinks better than you.~~

The guy behind her was sticking on her more and more, his cheap alcohol breath brushing her back. She was grateful she had put on the high-heeled boots, otherwise the jerk would try to lick her neck. ~~Like the asshole got hard on you.~~ She paid attention to the back of her thighs; it was slight but there it was: the brush of greasy fingers, trying to get under the tight little skirt she had put on. ~~Imagine how hard the dude must be to want to stick his fingers in you.~~

Why did men think a skirt was an invitation?

Well, in her case it was an invitation. But not for the drunk behind her. ~~HA, nobody wants your ridiculous invitations.~~

She looked up at the second floor of that seedy den, searching for her _guest_. She found him easily; it wasn't difficult to distinguish someone with that shiny, extremely long, well-groomed copper hair. It also helped the red choker with spikes, which sparkled in the lights.

His eyes were fixed on her, focused on every move she made. And she, as the Punk that she was, would not miss the attention she received. ~~Attention you get 'cause you are _crazy_.~~

But before she could _temp_ him, she had to get rid of the son of a bitch who couldn't keep his hands off her. How nice that she had taken all evening to braid, in dozens of small and uneven braids, her hair, held in a high ponytail with her faithful red bow. She turned her head, waving all the braids to act as a kind of whip.

The jerk walked away from her, as did the rest of the bodies that were glued to her. She turned her head again, allowing her hair to give her more space to dance, to move freely, and for _him_ to see her more clearly. ~~Nobody wants to see you; you're gross and embarrassing.~~

She looked up again, meeting his eyes and a small smile forming on his lips. He looked away, trying to hide his obvious reaction to what she was doing. ~~Disgust. That is what you provoke. Sickness. Because you are so repulsive that no one can see you, much less be near you.~~ Suddenly, his expression changed when he fixed his gaze a few feet from Berserk.

She followed the path of his eyes, settling on a fluffy red head.

Commander Bellum. Mafia boss in Viletown.

Berserk didn't understand why her creator had sent her to steal something from the Commander ~~surely, to get you out of his sight~~ , if the two of them fucked at least three times a week. Well, she wasn't the one ~~you're no one~~ to judge the Oppressor's love or sexual life; she didn't give a shit either.

She looked at the boy again, who nodded. It was time to play.

She walked away from the dance floor, heading for the stairs to the second floor. The redhead appeared lowering them, his attention fixed on the Commander.

Bellum was talking to some leaders of the organization, a glass with a golden liquid was in her right hand. If the Oppressor was right, when she finished talking to those men, she would head to the Red Room, right at the back of the den. The torture room.

How did her creator know that? Berserk had an idea but was trying to suppress that disgusting image in her head. ~~You're much more repugnant, you girly asshole.~~

She had to get closer, get to the corridor that led to that repulsive room and look, in one of the other rooms, for the object that the Oppressor required.

She felt a cold hand on her back. "Are you sure?" he asked in that melodic voice that she enjoyed listening to. ~~'Cause you can't stand yourself.~~

"And you?" she retaliated, flirtatious. That brought out another small smile.

He was about to reply when Bellum started to move, straight to the Red Room. Berserk took his hand and went towards the Commander. They moved through the people, to lose themselves in the crowd so that none of the mob men could recognize them. She wasn't afraid of being seen ~~what if they kill you?~~ ; Bellum and the entire organization knew who she was ~~a poor idiot girl who thinks she can be free.~~ But he... that was a very different story.

Little by little they reached the corridor. Bellum went to the back door, which led to another endless corridor. The hallway was left empty, so Berserk and the boy approached, staying close to the dance floor.

"How're you gonna get in?" he asked.

"Oh, you'll see," she purred.

The door opened, leading to a fat guard and much taller than her. Before he laid eyes on both redheads, Berserk approached her _guest_ and planted her lips on his, pushing him back against the wall.

Thanks to the heels, she was taller than the boy, which served to hide his face. She put both hands on his neck, trying to make him tilt his head more so that the guard wouldn't see his face. Of course, he wasn't going to resist this impulsive but justified act. ~~It's not like he has a lot of options besides getting tangled up with your filthy persona~~.

The boy's hands went to her waist; if she weren't kissing him, she would have rolled her eyes. Always so respectful ~~or maybe trying to get away from your pest~~... as if she needed that right now. Berserk raised her left leg up to his hips; then, she lowered her hand until she touched his wrist and held him tightly, forcing him to lower that hand to her rear and up her thigh. It was generally not that difficult to tempt him. ~~It is impossible.~~ She regretted putting on the boots that reached above her knees, leaving very little skin to the touch.

However, as if by magic, when his hand began the upward journey, it reached under her skirt. She couldn't help but smile as they continued kissing. His other hand, the one still on her waist, drew her closer to him, his fingers brushing the end of the leather top she wore. If she concentrated enough, she could feel those same fingers playing with the laces that kept the garment in place.

The boy arched his hips against her, intensifying the kiss. Now _he_ was the one tempting her. As much as she liked where the game was going, she had a job to do. ~~And can you do it right? Or will you whine like the brat you pretend not to be?~~

Berserk moved slightly away from him, biting his lip until blood began to gush out. His eyes, as red as blood, looked at her with desire ~~I would say with revulsion.~~ She knew that many crazy pervert wanted her ~~HA~~ and none, in their miserable lives, could get anything from her. Yet the boy, imprisoned between her and the wall, could get whatever he wanted from her. ~~You have nothing to offer him. You'll never have anything. You are nothing.~~

She leaned closer to his ear, still covering his face. "Observe," she whispered. She planted a small kiss near his ear and pulled away from him, pushing him back against the wall.

She walked, very confident and "innocent" ~~bitch~~ , towards the guard. He noticed her, not suspecting anything of her. How would he suspect anything from the redhead when his eyes went from the cleavage to the tiny skirt, that it had lifted even more? ~~Another poor urged dog.~~ Apparently he had been more entertained by Berserk's ~~nauseating~~ appearance than her actions. And he still was if he had forgotten the boy whose eyes glowed in the dark. 

"Hey," she said, caramelizing her voice. "Over here," she shook her head toward the door, "'is the _fun_?" The guard took another look at her, his pupils widening. And he smiled, in that perverted way she was used to. His fat and greasy hand went to her waist, where before that frozen hand of the blood-eyed boy had been.

"I think so, cutie," he rasped. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a key. Berserk turned to see the redhead, who only suppressed a smile and pretended that he didn't see anything.

The guard led her into the hall, locking the door. When he faced Berserk, a fist struck him square in the face. He fell to the ground with a thus, his body rebounding from the impact. ~~Fucking disgusting~~. This time, she agreed with that voice. She sighed; now she would have to carry him to one of the rooms.

She opened the first door on the right and set the guard on a chair. She quickly scanned the room. There was a occasional computers, hundreds of cables and boxes. It looked like a warehouse. From the description the Oppressor had given her, the object she was seeking could not be neglected. No, it must be safe and in "good" hands. ~~Are yours good hands? I see them as the worst hands to do the job.~~

If she were Commander Bellum, where would she hide such an important object?

She left that room and began to walk through the other seven rooms, making as little noise as possible and noticing the door at the end, which was giving off a red glow. ~~They will come out. They will come out and kill you. Oh, here comes someone.~~

From time to time she would look over her shoulder or she would turn abruptly, sure that someone was there. _Concentrate, Berserk. ~~Like you have the brain to do it.~~_

She ignored that annoying little voice and approached the last door, the one closest to the Red Room. She heard voices coming from that room, although she wasn't sure if they were all coming from there or from her head.

She slowly opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her.

The room was identical to the others: cables, boxes, computers, guns, a couple of bullets on the floor, a single spotlight that did not illuminate even half the room and a horrendous ~~like you~~ turquoise color decorating the walls. However, in the far corner was a vitrine, very neat, with a... it looked like a plaque, no bigger than a credit card.

The Oppressor told her that it looked like that: a credit card, whitish and with hundreds of circuits glittering in gold.

She approached the vitrine, watching where she stepped. They couldn't possibly have that thing like that; maybe it was a decoy or a trap. Or both. She inhaled deeply and exhaled smoke, covering the space. There were no laser traps or any wire on the floor. ~~But you can't trust what you see, can you? You could get confused, step on a cable, slip... hundreds of things could happen because of your stupid legs.~~ She levitated, just in case.

The vitrine had no security either. She peered at the plaque, recalling every detail the Oppressor had told her to make sure it was real. ~~What if you're wrong? What if it's fake? Too bad you won't be the one paying for the mistake of being a complete stupid.~~ It was a lot of technical details, and Berserk couldn't remember all of them. ~~How can you do it if your tiny brain is barely able to remember to breathe?~~

 _Think, Bers, think. The Oppressor told you..._ ~~that you were useless, idiot, _crazy_~~ like thirty characteristics that that piece of plastic, or metal, or whatever it was, had to fulfill, to know that it was true and not a replica.

 ~~Enlighten me~~. The color? ~~You're pitiful.~~ Some circuit? ~~Shameful~~. An engraving? ~~Disgusting~~. Any lines? ~~You are so, so pathetic~~. The measure? ~~_Crazy_~~. Was it rusty? ~~Crazy~~. All of the above? ~~CRAZY~~. None of the above? ~~YOU ARE CRAZY!~~

Her head was spinning and that stupid voice wouldn't let her focus. What was it that told her that that fucking plaque was REAL? ~~The same thing that indicates to you that you are unhinged~~. Was any of this real?

_Calm the fuck down, damn it. Take it easy. ~~Yeah, Berserk. Calm down before someone walks in and decides that it's enough of you stealing oxygen from those who do something USEFUL.~~_

That only served to make her breath shake and the beat of her heart to be heard in her ears.

What if they entered? ~~Are you immortal?~~ What if there was a hidden camera? ~~Are you immune?~~ What if it was all a trap from the Oppressor and Bellum? ~~Are you invincible?~~

_The heck, Berserk! Stop thinking, you wretched bitch!_

~~In the corner. You see it? Are they holes with a pair of eyes behind them? Is it a camera? Did you check the room to make sure it was safe? Was there anything? Up. The bulb blinks. Did they interfere with the electricity? Will the light go out? Do they know you are here? A movement at the door. Shades? A person? A bully? The Commander? The vitrine flashes. A trap? A defense system? A knife? A bomb?~~

She knew they were stupidities, vile nonsense. But she couldn't stop thinking about them; they seemed very real. ~~It _i_ _s_ very real, my dear.~~ They _were_ very real.

Her hands went to her head, as if trying to get that voice out of her head. But it wouldn't shut up. Someone was laughing, someone was whispering something in her ear, others were shouting and... it was chaos. Everything was a mess in her head.

_Bers..._

She focused on that ~~pathetic~~ voice, on the way he pronounced the r ~~weak~~ , on how his lips formed the word ~~disgusting~~ , on how he looked at her when he called her ~~with hatred~~.

_Bers..._

The R circuit! The Oppressor had told her that this circuit was silver, but gold-plated. Imperceptible to the normal human eye. She got up from the floor -at what point had she fallen?- and went back to the vitrine. ~~It will explode~~. And she saw it, on the periphery of the plaque. Gold-plated silver. Imperceptible to all but her.

She put her index finger on the glass, concentrating the fire that flowed into her on that part of her body, heating her finger enough to cut through the glass. She drew a circle -it was more egg-shaped- and, with one punch, knocked that part off the case. Thanks to Chemical Y ~~'cause you would be a complete failure otherwise~~ , her hand was fast enough to catch that piece before it hit the base.

She placed the piece on the base carefully and went for the white plaque. She took it and held it up ~~how easy~~ , waiting for some alarm to go off or something. After a few seconds without anything activating, she stuck her hand out and floated to the door. ~~You're so deplorable.~~

Before arriving, she happened to see the papers that were on the center table, on the floor and on some boxes. The headache didn't allow her to process anything she read. ~~I doubt that you can process anything besides your stupidity.~~ She noticed the drawings, which she couldn't understand either. Her hands were sweating and she felt like her heart was going to leap from her chest. ~~I wish yes, you would do us a fucking favor with that.~~

Her brain managed to process the image of a rectangle. ~~Even a five-year-old could do it~~. Enough for her.

She blew fire, a little spark, in such a way that it started a big fire and well, nobody would notice a robbery. At least not for a while.

She got out of there, basically flying at full speed, to where the music was and the red-haired boy waiting for her. ~~If he was so sorry for you to wait for you.~~

~~A noise. A shot?~~

Everything happened fast. ~~Light. Could it be that the Oppressor arrived?~~ Everything was very slow. ~~A noise behind her. Had Bellum noticed the theft yet?~~ One moment she was in a hallway lit by a pair of spotlights, a depressing sight, and the next the strobes were blinding her and the smoke choking her. She needed... she had to get out of there.

She would have got lost in the crowd of people had it not been for the redhead, who took her by the arms and slammed her against the wall, stopping her. ~~Looks like he's had enough of your shit.~~

 ~~You should kill him, Berserk. **Kill him.** You know you wanna do it. The blood in your hands, his stained hair, his lifeless eyes. _He will kill you._ _He only uses you._ He uses you. _Every word_ is a fucking lie. **A vile lie.** And you are so inept **as to realize it.** _You have to finish him,_ **finish him.** ~~ ~~ _**KILL HIM. KILL THEM. DO IT. KILL THEM ALL. KILL THEM, BERSERK!** _ ~~

He was talking to her, she knew he was saying something to her. **~~Berserk!~~** But she didn't know what he was saying. ~~Help me, Berserk!~~ She didn't know what to answer him. ~~_BERSERK!_~~ The screams... the cries... the laughter... WHY DIDN'T ANYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP!?

Someone pulled her by the arm. She closed her eyes; the faces, the monsters...

Cold. ~~Bers...~~ She felt cold. _Brat._ She had never felt cold. ~~I'm scared...~~ There was fire in her veins. _Brat!_ The fire wasn't cold. ~~Help me...~~ The fire... fire...

Someone was talking. It was her? It was him?

"Berserk!" yelled Barron Momo, getting her to open her eyes. The first thing she saw were impressive reddish eyes, the color of blood, perhaps cherry-colored. Was he real?

 _This is Barron_ _Momo_ , she recalled. _Barr,_ her subconscious said. _The leader of the Rowdyrock Boys._

Her counterpart. With his red kerchief on his head and the red choker over a black necklace, with a nice cross-shaped pendant. Berserk's hands were very restless; her fingers seemed to be playing the piano and her leg ached 'cause of how much it trembled.

"Bers," Barr's melodious voice said. She couldn't see him; he was terrifying. She concentrated on the black cross. "We're outside the 'B&D', and it's too cold," the redhead continued. That... that explained the feeling of cold.

Berserk reached out for the pendant. Barr grabbed it by the chain, pulling it closer until she took it all the way. 

"You're on the floor, sitting up," he said. "And in your left hand you have a black pendant in the shape of a cross."

_Sitting on the floor, my left hand with a black cross-shaped pendant._

"And I, Barr, am in front of you." _And you, Barr, are in front of me._

"B-Ba-Barr?" she stammered. She looked up, fearing his face was another monster. But it was just Barr, red eyes and copper hair contained with a simple garter. She thought his expression would be hard, cold like Bass', or sadistic like Brume's. It wasn't. It was warm and sincere ~~or worthy of a liar.~~

"Yeah," he whispered. Slowly, he brought his hand closer to her. Bers didn't know whether to move away or get closer to that contact. She remembered who he was, but not if she could trust him. She felt the brush of his fingers on her temple, down to her cheek; it was icy, but not uncomfortable.

"Barr..." she muttered, closing her eyes again and focusing on that light but firm contact.

"Bers," he said in response. "We have to go, okay?" he asked, searching her eyes.

She nodded.

Barron took her by the arms, gently, and lifted her. 

_Barron Momo. He's your friend... he's your... you're dating him._

"Can you hold yourself?"

"Yes." She drew herself up, balancing on her heels. He nodded and smiled calmly. He reached out his hand, holding it open. ~~Trap~~. Berserk watched it for a moment before reacting; she stretched hers and laced her fingers with his.

~~It's a fucking trap, you idiot!~~

* * *

They arrived at an abandoned building, more than an hour from 'B&D', the seedy den run by Commander Bellum.

In any other situation, Berserk would have complained about the walk, especially with the boots. That was not the case. Barr had been very careful that no one saw them, and he had made sure the road was smooth.

They approached an alley where, months before, they had made a hole on that side of the building to enter without anyone noticing.

Barr released her hand to move the concrete block that served as the door to the "secret" passageway. The hole that led to the interior was uncovered; Bers got in and waited for him to do the same and place the block again. For being abandoned, the building was very safe. ~~Not if we consider that you entered~~. No one had tried to enter, and no one seemed to care that it was empty.

The perfect hideaway.

She felt Barr's hand on hers. She let him guide her up the stairs to the fifth floor, the last, where they had settled.

Each floor had four apartments, one of them always away from all limelight. And that was the ideal for them.

They came to the door of the small apartment. Barr released her again to remove the wooden plank that concealed the heavy, thick block of ice that protected the well-worn door.

Berserk let out a small puff, releasing a blaze that almost immediately evaporated the block. Barron looked at her, grinning.

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied, opening the door and stepping away for her to enter. How chivalrous ~~condescending~~.

The apartment, which was really just a room 'cause the walls had fallen down at some point, was dark, the only three windows barely giving way to the light of the crescent moon and a few stars.

To her right, was a weathered wooden table. To her left, at the far end, was a bed, well made, with a nighstand. ~~Dumb~~. Just behind it was a single wall, which separated the bathroom from the main room. The bathroom didn't work, naturally. Beneath one of the windows was a yellow sofa, battered and broken but serving its purpose. Most of the place was filled with candles because, obviously ~~idiot~~ , they were not going to provide light to an abandoned building.

She stood a few steps from the door, watching Barr close it and go to the table to grab a candle. ~~Sure?~~ He returned to her and placed the candle at the level of her mouth.

Berserk snapped her tongue, bringing out a spark that lit the candle. He chuckled, thanking her and lighting some of the other candles. On her side, she made her way to the bed, covered in a pair of ~~moldy~~ white sheets that she had stolen from her house. She sat on the edge, watching the redhead as he lit the candles.

Barron Momo wasn't rich ~~no, he's just pitiful~~ , but he also didn't live badly enough to wear ripped jeans, or to wear sneakers as dirty as Brute's clothes ~~or as yourself~~. However, the condition of those garments was offset by the black leather jacket which, although it already indicated use, was still in good conditions. But what most impressed her about the boy was his straight copper hair, slightly wavy in some parts, so well-groomed and that it reached his knees. How could he keep that hair? With a lot of work she managed to cut it evenly, and she wasn't sure about it.

He put the candle on the table and took off his black and red fingerless leather gloves, laying them on the table. Then, he removed the choker, placing it over the gloves. He reached into his right jacket pocket and pulled out some kind of white card.

She recognized it. "I didn't remember where I put it," she mentioned ~~oh, what a fucking surprise~~. Actually, she didn't remember taking it. ~~Do you remember being born?~~ She didn't remember many things after seeing that plaque in the vitrine. ~~I'd be surprised if you remembered your name~~. She tried not to give much importance.

"You threw it away," he said, placing the plaque right next to the gloveletts. "I picked it up and we left." He didn't elaborate; she didn't ask for them either.

Barr moved away from the table to go with her, sitting next to her. ~~Get away~~. He had a glass in his hand, the only one they had, and blew. ~~Get away!~~ Tiny particles of ice covered the inside of the glass, forming a block of ice that took up half the glass. He handed it to her. ~~What if it has something? What if he wants to hurt you?~~ Berserk cracked her neck, dismissing the thought. She looked at him, defiantly. He returned the expression.

"Now should I wait?" she said.

"I highly doubt the wait will be long," he replied. That made her smile. She took the glass, concentrating the heat inherent in her on her palm. Slowly, the ice melted away. When there was more liquid than solid, she took a long sip, staining the glass with the red lipstick she was wearing and passed it to Barr, who did not hesitate to drink the rest of the water from the same place where she had drunk.

He got up to put that glass on the table and returned to her, sitting closer. ~~GET AWAY.~~ He turned to see her. While his expression denoted calm, his eyes showed concern.

"What?" she blurted out. She hated when he looked at her like that. ~~GET THE FUCK AWAY!~~

"Nothing," he said impassively. "It's just that... you didn't tell me the medicine no longer worked."

Berserk looked straight ahead at the empty, filthy wall to avoid seeing him. "Yeah, well-" she bit the inside of her lip. "I forgot it."

"You forgot it," he repeated.

"I forgot it."

"Bers..."

"What!?" she returned her eyes to him, annoyed. Brute used to shrink away from her whenever Berserk was angry, when smoke billowed out of her nostrils and her eyes flashed in an eccentric ~~ordinary~~ coral color, ready to spit fire with any movement from her sister. Even the Oppressor backed away. Still, Barr didn't seem to flinch from her anger. ~~Don't feel so "dangerous", you ridiculous asshole girl.~~ He remained right where he was, undaunted, as if she posed no threat to his person.

"Did you mean to tell me?" he said calmly ~~I think he's angry.~~ Well, the red Rowdy wasn't the leader for nothing. Did she plan to do it? She didn't know. She hadn't been able to calm down for days, barely slept and suffered from constant headaches because the stupid ~~you're the stupid~~ voice couldn't shut up for five fucking minutes.

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" he repeated, raising his voice slightly. ~~He's angry.~~ Seemingly he wasn't as calm as he appeared. In other circumstances and if their situation were different, Berserk would have enjoyed making him lose his temper, just because she could. But it wasn't the case; she hated so much stressing him out more than his brothers did. Although she hated nothing more than... ~~you?~~ that.

"I can take care of myself," she hissed. ~~I highly doubt it, you rotten piece of shit.~~ He had no right to be upset with her. Barr didn't have to deal with that stupid voice day after day, didn't have to guess if something was real or not, or pretend he liked his life. ~~But he does pretend he likes you.~~

She got out of bed, going to the wall to get away from him. She leaned against the wall, risking it's collapsing under her weight, and crossed her arms in an attempt to put a kind of barrier between them.

"I know," he said after the awkward silence, calm returning to his voice.

"Good."

Despite having the last word, Barron did not speak. He got up and crept toward her, until he was a couple of centimeters away from Bers. His fingers brushed her chin, causing her to look directly at him. ~~Why don't you finish him off and spare us this pity?~~

There was a time when she looked for the trap behind that penetrating red look; in which she sought the sadism of Brume, or the emptiness of Bass. But there was none of that in the eldest of the brothers. Everything about him was ~~a vile, putrid lie~~ genuine. From his eyes to his words. There were no secrets in his person. Even when he exercised that incredible self-control to keep his patience ~~from killing you~~ , he didn't hide his annoyance or worry. Maybe that was what made him the leader, which made his brothers listen to him despite not "using" the brain as much as they did.

"I hate it," she said. "I hate all-" she pointed vaguely at her head, "-all this." Barr lowered his hand, positioning it now on her arm. He said nothing, just let her continue. "It never shuts up; no matter how much I tell it to shut the fuck up, it doesn't. I can barely get to sleep. Sometimes I can't even control my powers. I _can't_ think, Barr, it won't let me. And the... the stupid drugs just make me sleepy. I hate it, Barron. I fucking hate it!"

~~That makes two of us, you stinky garbage.~~

She felt like a spoiled child who hadn't had a whim fulfilled. Nor did she have much right to feel that way; Chemical Y managed to appease the symptoms, made the chaos of her mind, the discomfort of her being, more bearable. But it wasn't magical; if it were, she wouldn't be dealing with all of that. Nor would she drag him into the mess that was her life.

"I hate me," she whispered, looking away from the candlelight ~~we all here hate you, don't feel special~~ , lost again in the tide that was her thoughts.

"Bers," he said, his voice bringing her afloat.

"How can you do it?" she said, before Barr could say anything.

"What?" He cocked his head to the side, confusion evident in his frown.

"Bear with me." Berserk couldn't even bear herself ~~no one can bear you, frog face~~ , though she was no longer sure if it was her or the pesky little voices she couldn't stand. Or the situation _per se_.

"Bers, I do not _bear with you_ ," he declared. ~~Told ya~~. She returned her gaze to him, fearful. "I am with you because I want to." ~~Lie.~~ No matter how much she searched for the secret behind his words, the way he looked at her told her everything. "We are in this together, Bers. I take care of you. You take care of me. And we try not to let our siblings drive us crazy."

She huffed. He was right; their siblings could drive anyone crazy.

"You know I can take care of myself," she replied, unsure of her own words. Could she really control everything that was going on in her confused and tired mind? "I'm not a baby," she said, more to her than to him. ~~No, you're a hateful spoiled brat~~. He withdrew his hand, now taking both of hers, closing the distance between them.

"No, you're not," he confirmed. "But you don't have to do this alone."

She rested her forehead against his, allowing the cool energy he gave off to calm the burning of her skin. He moved even closer, brushing her lips with his, doubting if kissing her was a good idea. ~~If you ask me, it's a lousy, awful idea.~~

Berserk eliminated the space between them, pressing her lips to his, feeling the relief that his cold lips provided her.

Her hands didn't hesitate to release his, going straight to his neck, sinking her fingers into that enormous hair, gently removing the red kerchief and tousling him, just the way he liked it. Barr moaned; she took advantage of that moment to stick her tongue in his mouth. ~~Gross~~. The boy ran his hands over her waist, down her back, bringing her closer to him, playing with the laces of the top and with the zipper of the skirt.

Bers ran her hands under his leather jacket, prompting him to remove it. He shed the garment, revealing a red shirt more torn than Brute's pants ~~or your life.~~ Before Berserk could admire the few visible parts of his body, he ran his hands behind her thighs, lifting her up, forcing her to wrap her legs around his hips.

One hand was on her leg, the other on her back, untying the lace that held the top in place. At that moment, that top had to find another place, out of her body.

Slowly, she felt the texture of the sheets on her back, the red Rowdy's hands finally removing her garment ~~'cause the stench of that thing is worse than yours.~~ For a brief moment, Barr broke the kiss ~~before vomiting~~ , admiring her, his eyes growing darker. Before he kissed her again, Bers took the bottom of the shirt and pulled it over his head, finally showing that incredible body that he, unlike his brothers, didn't bother to hide. And that only she had the fortune ~~nerve~~ to touch.

He kissed her again, his bare chest against hers, that cross-shaped pendant falling on her, his heavy breathing and icy breath, which heated up when it reached her mouth.

Her hand continued to play with his hair, down to the garter that was trying to control that bunch of hair. She hoped he had a spare. She broke the garter, freeing all of Barr's mane, falling everywhere and covering the couple. She needed the secrets of beauty ~~and tolerance~~ of the leader of the Rowdyrocks, 'cause her hair looked like a mop ~~I agree~~ compared to hers.

She felt his hand rise to the height of her bow, pulling it to free the dozens of uneven braids. He placed his hand on her neck, releasing his icy breath into her mouth at the same time, impregnating the tiny ice crystals down to her throat. A normal person would have been hurt, but she wasn't _normal_. ~~No, you're crazy.~~ None of them were. ~~Crazy~~. There were no boundaries between them.

No matter how much ice he blew into her mouth, the innate fire in her would melt it. No matter how much fire she released into his mouth, the innate ice in him would put it out.

His hands pulled away from her. Berserk heard something breaking; she caught a glimpse of a silver glow. She didn't know if Barr was cautious or paranoid ~~or a jerk~~ , or both. She also didn't give it much thought when he dropped all of his weight against her.

They began to become a jumble of lips and hair, skin and gasps, ice and fire. She no longer knew where she ended and where he began. She could only focus on his fingers on her ~~to pull you away~~ , on his lips kissing every inch of her skin, the way he whispered her name, like it was the only word he knew.

She rolled him over on the bed, laying him on his back against the mattress so that she was on top of him. That curled his lip. "Always the 'Queen and Ruler', huh?" he panted.

 ~~The "Slave and Loser" I would say~~. She leaned over him, placing a small kiss on his lips. "Always," she whispered.

It wasn't like it bothered him that Berserk dominated ~~he had no other choice, right?~~ , that she took advantage of her nickname to get what she wanted. Barr enjoyed too much when she did it, and she loved doing it.

His hands went to take her hips, digging his fingers into her with every movement she made, whispering her name over and over, like a prayer ~~or a plea for you to step back~~. She rested her hands on his chest, balancing herself, feeling his heart pounding and his ragged breathing.

And she reached the sky, the stars... perhaps she had become one. Her mind, always in chaos, could only process Barron's touch, his eyes fixed on her, her name in his voice... the night sky raising above her.

She could taste the _freedom_ in her.

* * *

Berserk opened her eyes, sleepily. She ran her hand over the empty side of the bed. That made her widen her eyes, searching for the missing occupant. A tiny light made her focus her gaze on that side of the room.

In the background he was, standing in front of the table and with his elbows resting on it, resting his head on the back of his hand. He only wore his jeans and sneakers, her bow holding his hair in a low ponytail, exposing the set of tattoos that covered part of his back and his right arm. Flowers, leaves, stars and other celestial bodies created a beautiful image on his body.

The redhead seemed to be analyzing something ~~how to get rid of you~~ on the table, 'cause he had that expressión on his face when all the gears in his head were trying to solve a mystery of the universe. ~~The only mystery here is how he makes it so as not to get grossed out while he thrusts you and manages to cum with your loathsome pussy.~~ A single pair of candles lit the table and its content.

Bers raised her head to the nighstand, searching for the clock. It was four in the morning. Didn't the red Rowdy sleep? ~~You're one to talk.~~

She sat up, drawing the covers to her chest. She looked down a the floor, searching for her clothes, or something she could wear. She found her panties and his jacket. That would do.

She got out of bed, putting on the clothes, zipping up the jacket.

She approached him, who was still absorbed in his thoughts ~~or ignoring you.~~

She hugged him from behind, careful not to trap his hair between their bodies, her palms touching his bare torso. Barr was unfazed by the touch; he simply brought one of his hands to her arm, taking it but not pulling it away. Berserk rested her cheek against his back, feeling the softness of his hair, relaxing.

"What're you doing?" ~~ignoring you, blind bitch~~ she muttered, squinting, sleep invading her again.

"A diagram." He lowered his hand and traced something on the white paper -where the fuck did he get it?- on the table.

Bers stood on her tiptoes, looking over his shoulder. Lines, numbers, letters, annotations... everything that contained and represented that white plaque. In the upper left corner of the paper was that plaque, in parts. Barr must have taken it apart to study each of its components, trying to unravel the mystery of how it worked. Anyone who thought his baby brother was the smartest of the Rowdys had clearly never met Barr.

Barr's handwriting, on the other hand, was embarrasing. But she was able to understand ~~I don't~~ the squiggles, the order in the disorder of his annotations, and the meaning of all the words. And the Oppressor had no knowledge of it, because he always considered them as mere experiments, his right hand, loyal, obedient ~~garbage, filthy rats that not even for what they were created for, served.~~ They didn't need to use their brains ~~like you had one~~ , just their fists.

Despite knowing everything that huge sheet of paper said, she asked. "Can you explain to me?"

And Barr, like the ~~pathetic~~ kind boy he was, explained every stroke, every number, pointing out the circuits, the gears, the colors; what happened if there was a short, if the chips were misplaced, how each cell worked, assembling the plaque in the process and also explaining where everything went. He immersed himself in such detailed explanation, not because he thought she was an idiot ~~you think?~~ , but because he knew she was interested in it, that she really listened to him and understood him perfectly. ~~Do not make me laugh.~~

"-Jomo mentioned that this device was responsible for opening portals to other dimensions," he said. That made her react.

"What?" she walked away from him. Barron turned around, his back to the table, holding the plaque with his fingers.

"That this could open-"

"Yeah, I heard you the first time,"she cut him off. It couldn't be possible. Could not. The Oppressor had sent her to... to steal that thing from Bellum for, what? Open portals? Go to another dimension? ~~Get rid of your pesky persona?~~

"Bers?"

He himslef had told them they should never, ever, play with portals, with the dimensions behind them. That it would be a total quantum chaos that would be caused if everyone crossed to other dimensions as if they feel like it. And now he wanted to play God?

"Bers," he said, loud and clear. Berserk watched him, still lost in thought. "What is?"

Jomo had never told him? ~~What a useless, cretinous ape~~. From the redhead's face, Jomo hadn't said anything to any of the boys. _Stupid ape_ , she agreed with the voice. He was supposed to be extremely intelligent, rivaling the Oppressor. But they both turned out to be complete assholes fighting for their ego ~~the content of their crotch~~ that preferred to hide everything under the rug.

"We have to destroy it," was what she said.

"What? Why?" He was confused and worried, though she didn't know if it was because of the ridiculous plaque or because of her. ~~Don't feel important, brat~~.

"'Cause that shit is gonna bring us more troubles than we already have," she said urgently. "Barr, did Jomo never warn you about the dangers of interdimensional travels? About the Powerpuff Girls?"

He denied, bewildered. Well, Bers would explain it to him when they destroyed that shit.

"Wait, Bers," he said, raising his arm as she reached over to snatch it from his hand ~~you can fly, you silly bitch~~. "Bers, if we destroy it, we'll both get into trouble."

That made her reconsider. The Oppressor wanted the plaque -although she didn't know why- and if she didn't give it to him, Brute would be the one who would pay the consequences, with Berserk unable to help her because of the Antidote Y that his creator would administer her. As for Barr... Jomo wasn't cruel or ruthless, but he would be disappointed of the oldest of the Rowdys, his greatest pride. And while Barron didn't care about that part, he couldn't afford to be mistrusted, doubted. He couldn't lose control of the Rowdyrocks; he was the only one they listened to and obeyed without hesitation, the only one who could keep that sadistic emptiness of his brothers at bay.

Berserk didn't want to meet his out-of-control brothers, and she didn't wanna know what she and Brute would be capable of if they were to face them in that state. ~~If you stopped controlling us, controlling your monsters, everyone in this fucking city would kneel before us.~~

~~Chaos. Simple and pure chaos. You couldn't save your sister, do you think you can save the one you have left? Do you think you can save the boy in front of you? You won't be able to do anything, nothing. NOTHING.~~

"If they get it, either of them, we'll have bigger problems," she said, unsure of wanting to face that terrifying and not-too-distant future.

"Then we'll sabotage them," he declared, trusting his words despite not knowing the context. "We will do whatever it takes so they can't use it." He put the plaque on the table and walked over to her, taking her hand. "Okay?"

 ~~You will fail, little girl. You all will fail~~.

"Okay," she finally said.

Barr pulled her toward him, wrapping her in his arms, kissing her forehead. Without the boots, Bers was smaller than him, which left her at the perfect height to kiss his neck, or to hide her face in it. ~~Weak~~. The latter was what she did, trying to placate all possible disastrous futures.

"Bers?" he said after a while in silence.

"Hmm?"

"Are you just wearing my jacket?"

"I didn't find your shirt," she said, suppressing the flirtatious giggle.

"I see." He ran his hand under the jacket, gently touching the bare skin on her back. The touch was cold, but it was nothing she didn't like.

She drew her head back from his neck so she could stamp her lips against his. ~~Again, disgusting.~~ Her hands went from his chest to his broad shoulders, etching every line of his muscles into her memory, the finest movement they made to grip her firmly, to touch her gently. She slowly ran her palms over his neck, feeling the cold building up before expelling an icy blast. She went to his head, gently tugging at his hair to make up for both hands under the jacket, touching her like she was the softest ~~stickiest~~ and most exquisite ~~nauseating~~ thing they'd ever had between them.

She wanted to feel the ice covering her mouth, trying to freeze her from the inside but instead cooling her... she wanted Barron to lose control of his powers, of his person, with her. Only with her. What would be the price for making the red leader of the Rowdyrock Boys stop exercising so much self-control just for her? ~~Your life, you insane bitch.~~

Berserk felt the fire in her chest, trying to get out of her lungs. She let the smoke escape from her mouth, filling his. Barr backed away slightly, blowing smoke through his nostrils. That almost made her the one to lose control. ~~Have you ever been in control?~~ Their lips slammed again, his arms holding her so tightly he could break an ordinary person. Their breaths passed from one another, ice quenching fire, fire melting ice. At some point she lost the jacket, skin to skin again.

They went back to bed, lost in the little world they had created for themselves, away from the chaos of Viletown, putting aside the trouble they would have if someone discovered their nasty ~~filthy~~ little ~~fat~~ secret.

* * *

Sunlight shone through the windows, highlighting the dust in the room and warming it. Berserk pressed closer against the ice floe that was Barr, who unconsciously eased her the burning sensation.

Her eyes narrowed, dazzled by the annoying light. The first thing she saw was the white sheet -beige 'cause of dirt ~~as filthy as you~~ ; maybe they should wash it- covering Barr more than her. Over time she had discovered that just as the fire inherent in her had a physiological effect on her body temperature which at the same time was the basis of her power, the ice in Barr did just the same, only instead of increasing his temperature, as with Berserk, his was much lower. Bers was grateful that the boy was always cold, but she doubted he would think the same. Barr used to wrap himself with everything around him to keep warm, and that included her, who was currently in the redhead's arms and one leg over hers.

She tilted her head slightly back, her eyes adjusting to the light and forming Barron's features. It was a spectacular view ~~better than you in the mirror~~ , she had to admit. Only asleep he looked calm, in peace, as if the weight he always carried on his shoulders left him to rest even if it was only a few hours. Bers felt the start of a smile on her mouth and snuggled closer to him, who was breathing deeply and rhytmically.

A phone began to ring, snapping Barr awake and making Bers growl. The redhead moved away from ~~your pest~~ her, turning to the other side of the bed, crouching down and stretching his arm towards the floor, looking for the source of that annoying noise.

He returned to the position he was in, again hugging the girl, closing one eye and pushing the phone away to see who it was. He swiped his finger across the screen and placed the phone to his ear.

"What?" he blurted out, his voice raspy. He narrowed his eyes; Bers guessed that the light bothered him too.

" _Where are you?_ " said a calm, almost robotic voice on the other end of the line. Bass. She clung closer to him, wrapping her free arm around him and running her fingertips down his back, trying to appease the obvious tension that his body was exerting.

"Out," he said curtly ~~to go the fuck out, didn't you hear?~~. "What do you want?

" _It is just that-_ " hesitated the youngest of the Rowdys, unsure if it was a good idea to bother his brother. " _Jomo is not here. He left early and said he would be back until night._ "

"Uh-huh."

" _And... well, he did not make breakfast._ "

By Barr's expression, Berserk was grateful she wasn't one of his brothers, 'cause otherwise she would have to face the redhead's obvious fury and disbelief that, surprisingly, he could contain. He inhaled deeply before answering.

"Bass, one of these days you should grab one of Jomo's cookbooks and read it."

There was a silence on the line before the blue Rowdy spoke again.

" _None of those books explain the physics of cooking to me. Besides-_ " he added, before Barr could reply, " _-you forbade Brume and me to enter the kitchen._ "

He sighed dramatically, exerting all the self-control he had to not smash ~~you~~ the phone in one squeeze.

"Okay, okay!" he exclaimed, annoyed. "I... I'm coming." He hung up, taking the opportunity for his baby brother to grumble.

He put the phone behind him and ran his hand through his hair. Early morning hours and the weight of the world was returning to him.

"You gotta go," she said for him. Barr nodded, turning his head to place a kiss on her forehead.

"We both have to."

She sighed, hiding her face in his chest. She didn't want to get up, didn't wanna go home, and didn't wanna get away from him. ~~He seems eager for you to disappear~~. But the one time they allowed themselves to be selfish with what they desired ended very badly for her and her sister. Barr hadn't told anything to her, but the way he acted the next day told her everything.

She kissed that part of his chest and forced herself to separate from him, sitting up and stretching her back. Barr got up equally ~~relieved~~ , sitting on the edge of the bed and bending down to grab the red leather top and its respective lace; he handed it to Bers, who took it and began to tuck the cord around the back.

As she finished adjusting the top so she could pull it over her head, the boy took her braids and began to comb them into her high ponytail, tying her hair with the red bow that he had worn in his own hair. When he finished fixing her hair, Berserk put on her top, tucking it in from the front.

"Can you tie it up?"

He didn't give her any response, he simply took the ends of the cord and squeezed until she signaled him to stop. His fingers continued to caress her just below the top, until his hands firmly grasped her waist and he leaned forward to kiss her back.

Could his brothers live another hour without breakfast? ~~Could you live one more hour? I hope not, bitch-waste-oxygen.~~

Before she could react on that gesture, he pulled away, getting up from the bed and searching for his shirt and jeans. He bent down again, picking up the jumble of clothes from the floor and placing it on the bed. Berserk took the black skirt and kneesocks; Barr took his shirt and put it on.

They finished dressing in silence; a comfortable silence. She sat on the edge of the bed so she could pull on her black velvet boots.

The redhead went to the table, erasing some notations and folding the huge white sheet that he had taken from somewhere until it fit in the back pocket of his jeans. He put the choker back on top of the necklace and took the leather glovelettes, adjusting them around his wrists; then grabbed the plaque and turned just in time to hand it to Berserk, who was already on her feet and right behind him.

"Bers," he began. Berserk took the plaque and placed it on her back, catching it with the tightness of her skirt. "Who are the Powerpuff Girls?"

~~A well-behaved little girls who beat the shit out of you, 'cause you're so stupid you couldn't figure out their plan. Moron. Asshole. Bitch.~~

She swallowed. She thought Jomo had told them something about those girls; after all, they were the female version of the Rowdyrocks and the ones responsible for the Oppressor's slow decline.

"Years ago, a portal was opened in our room," she explained, for some reason unable to meet his eyes. ~~Loser.~~ "That thing sucked us into another dimension, to a city very similar to this, but without the crime hitting it every ten minutes. We started tearing it apart... you know, the usual. After a few hours of arriving, a portal opened and the Powerpuffs appeared. They were identical to us, except that they were -are- good. We fought against them and were as powerful as us, which made it very difficult for one side to win. Finally, they tricked us and we went through the portal back here, where Jomo was already waiting for us as well as the Agency." 

He nodded, analyzing this new information that, for some strange reason, Jomo hadn't told any of the boys.

"When we managed to escape the Agency and ensure our safety in the mansion, the Oppressor explained to us that altering the course of one dimension could cause great chaos and imbalance in other dimensions."

"Imbalance?"

"Yes; all dimensions interact with each other, some depend on others. He didn't fully explain it to us. He just said that we should never play with that kind of things."

"And now he wants to play."

She nodded, looking at everything but him. ~~Loser~~. She could feel Barr's annoyance and concern. ~~Because of you. Of your fault.~~ His hands went to take hers. Bers closed her eyes for a moment before daring to look at him. She bit her lip, the same concern of him flowing into her. Why did the Oppressor want to play with something he didn't understand either?

"We will stop them, Bers," he promised ~~lied~~. "We will."

She nodded, allowing herself to believe the red Rowdy's words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name "Barron" was taken from the artist eyugho, on DeviantArt (and Tumblr) :)  
> https://www.deviantart.com/eyugho/art/Rowdyright-boys-550393149


	6. A Dangerous Game (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the continuation (well, obviously xD) of the previous chapter

After creating a huge block of ice that would protect their little hiding place, sharing a few more kisses, leaving the building unnoticed, heading back to the reality of their lives, and having stopped to buy food, Barr landed in front of the entrance of the observatory.

He placed his palm on the scanner and typed the code once the keyboard appeared. The five doors reinforced with Chemical Y opened, giving way to the common room, where his two brothers were, sitting on the black sofa in front of the TV, flipping the channels 'cause at that time in the morning was nothing interesting besides the news.

The first to take his eyes off the television was Bass, who observed his older brother very carefully, analyzing every little detail of his appearance in order to draw a conclusion.

"What?" Barr snapped, unable to control his anger. He headed for the kitchen, placing the bags of food on the breakfast bar. Eggs, pancakes, bacon, about three liters of orange juice, toasts and cut fruit began to fill the entire kitchen. He went to the cupboard to get plates out and returned to the bar, where both brothers were already seated, their gaze fixed on him.

He put the plates in front of them and began to distribute the food. Brume loved bacon, so he made sure they gave him an extra portion. As for Bass, he loved both pancakes and fruit, especially if it was papaya, which Barr had taken care of ordering.

Barr arranged everything in such a way that they could serve themselves as much as they wanted, serving a separate portion for him, 'cause otherwise he would not have enough to eat.

"It is Saturday," said Bass, who still wasn't touching the food. Barr went for glasses.

"So?"

"You usually get up between seven to nine and five past nine." Barron filled the glasses with the juice and handed them to his two very observant brothers.

"So?" He sat across from them, preparing to breakfast. "Start eating before it gets cold."

"It was thirteen to ten when I called you," Bass said. He still didn't touch the food, quite the opposite of Brume, who seemed to be swallowing and not chewing.

"Brume," Barr called him. The green Rowdy looked at him for a moment before realizing what he was doing. Barron smiled at him, more to calm himself than his brother. He straightened up and continued eating, this time more slowly. "So?" Barr repeated, not understanding where his baby brother wanted to go.

"That you never get up early on Saturday," Bass replied.

"There's always a first time. Now," he pointed to the food, "eat."

Bass stared at him a second longer before turning his full attention to the food in front of him. The redhead calmed down a bit, since his brothers had stopped the harassment of his person.

"Where were you?" Brume asked, still immersed in the bacon and eggs.

_With someone._

"Out there."

"Out there?"

"Yep."

"And what were you doing?" the blond continued.

 _What were you not doing_ , said the voice of a gorgeous redhead. He forced himself to suppress his smile. He hated always having to do it every time he thought of her. He hated having to lie to everyone.

"Stuff," was all he said. Brume was going to ask something else, but thought better of it when his skin crawled. Barron was in no mood for questioning. Not after they called him, ruining the perfect morning.

 _It's not their fault,_ he reminded himself. Of course it wasn't. What were they gonna know about their older brother's love life when he himself hadn't told them anything.

Nor was he going to tell them.

How would they react if he told them he was dating the leader of the Powerpunks? He didn't wanna imagine the hundreds of questions from Brume, or the explanations of how he felt from Bass. He just didn't want to hear from them about the subject, not only 'cause they would seek the logic and explanation for his actions, but also because... it was Berserk, for Lord's sake! The entire West Coast feared her, the Agency was still looking for a way to catch her... and she was a Punk, the arch nemesis of the Rowdyrock Boys.

He didn't need his brothers to question him about her, having the misconception that he was doing it to get information, something Jomo had sought for years.

There was no way to get close to the Oppressor, not even to his daughters -unless you wanted to run the risk of being castrated- and much less to those close to him, such as Bellum. If Jomo discovered that Barr had "managed" to get close to the red Punk, he was sure Jomo would use her to reach the Oppressor, to defeat him. And the girls with him.

He couldn't allow it. Berserk was... was just one more victim in the stupid game between Jomo and the Oppressor; she didn't have to pay the price. As for Brute, he didn't know her, but she was Bers' sister and she loved her. And as for Brat...

_Screams. Someone was screaming. He recognized that voice; she always laughed at him and his brothers. She always teased them, playing an occasional practical joke on them._

_But at that moment, she wasn't kidding; none of the girls were kidding._

_Brute, the fiercest and most insensitive fighter they had ever faced, held her sister's hand, crying silently, unable to open her eyes, begging her to get up, to laugh again... to make one last joke._

_Berserk, always laughing, always teasing the boys, held her baby sister, rocking her back and forth, sobbing, imploring her to come back, asking for her forgiveness..._

_Why? Why was Barron feeling her pain? Why did it hurt?_

_They weren't his sisters. They weren't his family. And yet something in his chest ached, burned, the lump in his throat was about to break._

_They had promised to protect the city, its inhabitants. He had sworn to protect them all... It wasn't until that moment that he realized that his oath included the girls._

_And he had failed them. He had failed Berserk._

Barr would not allow Bers to lose her only remaining sister, he would not be complicit in Jomo's games. Neither she nor their siblings.

"Barr?" Bass said, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Yeah?"

"What are you thinking about?" An innocent, curious question that only Bass could ask 'cause he could recognize when the older brother was overthinking.

"Nothing," he lied.

They finished breakfast, Bass commenting on the last thing he had read and Brume asking avidly. Barr just listened, clinging to the thread of the conversation and not of the past.

"You said Jomo was in the lab, right?" Barr asked.

"No," Bass said. "I said he went out. But yes," he added hastily, "he went there."

"Great," he grumbled.

Going to Treesville wasn't part of his plans that day. But Jomo had insisted that when he had the plaque, he give it to him immediately.

He remembered Bers' restlessness, her insistence on destroying the device and everything related to it. He had made sure to change several numbers and erase some strokes, as well as remove some components from the plaque without Bers noticing; that way she would be as surprised as the Oppressor when he noticed the plaque wasn't working.

He knew something very strange was happening, and Berserk's explanation confirmed it.

"Barr?" Brume asked now. "What is?"

The redhead sighed and took the sheet out of his jeans, handing it to him. Brume looked at that tiny square of paper and, before he could make a sound, Bass took it from him, unfolding the sheet and laying it out on the coffee table in the living room.

"What is it?" Brume repeated.

"The 'quantum plaque'," Bass replied, glancing over all of Barr's writing.

"The what?" the two brothers said in unison.

"'Quantum plaque'," he said again. "That was what Jomo called it. A very silly name but I guess it was the best thing he came up when I asked him." He turned to see Barron. "How did you get them?"

_Ah, well, you see: we went to the 'B &D', my girlfriend seduced like seven guys -me included-, got the plaque, we left, went to our apartament, had sex, I made a diagram of that thing, we had sex again, fell asleep, you called me, and here we are, analyzing that thing thanks to Berserk's charms._

"I can be very persuasive," he boasted.

"No, you are not," Bass contradicted. "And yet, you got the plans."

"Is that what you were doing this morning?" Brume asked, approaching the blue Rowdy, who had gone back to analyzing what the diagram said.

_Among other things._

"Yeah."

Bass took his glasses, which hung from the pocket of his impeccable blue shirt, and brushed the hair that fell on the right side of his face, so that he could read Barr's terrible handwriting. For his part, the green Rowdy sat on the sofa, waiting for the youngest of the brothers to issue a verdict. Barr set about picking up the dishes and washing them, before the kitchen turned into a pigsty. Perhaps his brothers were extremely intelligent, but he couldn't say the same for their hygiene.

"It is missing things," Bass said after a long moment, when Barr had finished washing dishes and putting away the leftovers.

"Can you find out what is missing?" Brume said.

"No." That denial relieved Barr. "I need the physical plaque to be able to complete this plan. Maybe Jomo can complete it; after all, it was him who created this thing."

_Or, hopefully, he may have forgotten how he built it, just as he forgot that he has three boys under his care._

The ape could be forgotful with them, trusting that the boys could take care of themselves, but he never forgot his machines, his inventions. He remembered every one of them, every inverted drop of sweat, even if they were minimal inventions.

"Do you know how it works? What functions has?" Barr asked. Although Jomo confided many things to him, much more than his brothers, he used to omit the scientific part 'cause he did not consider that the leader of the Rowdys was smart enough to understand all the technicalities. No, that part was shared with Bass, who loved spending time between books and the small observatory lab, which Jomo no longer used.

"Sort of," he replied, uncomfortable. Uh-oh. Barr knew that expression: Jomo hadn't said anything to Bass, and Bass had heard something he shouldn't have.

"What does?" he encouraged his baby bro.

"Well," he scratched behind his neck, avoiding the gaze of his brothers. "I understood that it opens portals to another dimensions," he summarized. He'd obviously heard more than that but, like the ape, Bass doubted the red Rowdy would understand. Barr refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Just that?" Brume chimed in, disappointed. "I though it did something more interesting. Why would Jomo be interested in opening a portal to another dimension?"

That was an excellent question, whose answer Barr hadn't discovered yet. Both Jomo and the Oppressor wanted this device, and it apparently only served one purpose. What interest could the Oppressor have in another dimension? Why did Jomo destroy everything related to that portal-opener plaque only to send Barron to get it?

Nothing made sense.

 _Did Jomo never warn you about the dangers of interdimensional travels?_ He never told them anything about another dimension, that to begin with. It's not like the redhead didn't know or believe about that possibility, but Jomo had never told them that that possibility was, actually, a fact.

 _About the Powerpuff Girls?_ The Powerpuff Girls... Basically the "good" reflection of the Punks. Did Jomo want to bring them to Viletown? It didn't make sense; they took care of the city, they had done it for years and had done it so well that it was a matter of time -and luck- to catch the Oppressor. And that was the other question: why would the Oppressor want the Powerpuffs? Or was he looking to flee to another dimension?

"Barr?" Bass called.

He looked at his two brothers, thinking.

There was a great enigma in that little white plaque, a whole unknown universe that Jomo and the Oppressor intended to play with, using them as pawns in their ridiculous game...

"I don't like this," he murmured, more to him than to his brothers.

"What? Why? What don't you like?" Brume asked hastily, shifting his eyes from Bass to Barr, not understanding what was wrong.

"Did Jomo mention anything else?" he insisted to Bass. "What did he want it for, or what else could it do besides open portals?"

"No, just..."

"What?" said Brume, increasingly upset 'cause he couldn't keep up with the thread of the conversation.

"He said that no one could have this technology."

"Why?" Barr demanded to know, trying not to lose patience for all the secrets the stupid ape was keeping from him, never considering the danger of it.

 _You're one to talk_.

"Because it would cause terrible chaos if it fell into the wrong hands," Bass replied, frightened by his brother's expression.

_... Altering the course of one dimension could cause great chaos and imbalance in other dimensions._

"Bass," he began, trying to control the ice that sought to come out and freeze everything in its path. "What exactly did Jomo say?"

The blue Rowdy shrank, possibly due to the drop in temperature at the observatory. Brume tried to hide the chill that ran through his body, without success. The redhead had neither time nor patience for things to be summed up for him; he needed to know what they were up against and if Jomo's hands were really the best to take care of the device.

"He-he... W-Well, J-J-Jo-Jomo," Bass stuttered. Whether it was from cold or fear, Barr didn't care.

"What did he say?"

"Hesaidthatweshouldnotopenportalstoanotherdimensionunlesswewantedtocreatechaos,notonlyherebutalsoinallthosedimensionsthatdependonoursorthatareconnectedtooursinsomeway,whichwouldinterrumptthecurrentcourseofhistoryandcouldputatriskthoseotheruniversesthatareveryfarfromourown,causingthenacollapsesimilartoablackhole.Openingaportalimpliesthatallthe"barriers"thatexistbetweentheotherdimensionsareweakened,thuscausingtheevilsofoneuniversetobetransportedtoanother,thatenergiesthatshouldnotexistinacertainplacenowdosoandthattheycreateanevilmorewickedthanwealreadyknow.Furthermore,allthetheoriesofscience,evenlaws,couldbecheckedordiscarded,whichisfineontheonehand,butnotsomuchontheother,asthatwouldbeatotalcatastrophethatwouldturncountlessuniversesupsidedown."

If it weren't for Chemical Y, Barr wouldn't have caught any of Bass' tongue twister.

_... All dimensions interact with each other, some depend on others._

The ape might well want that thing to guard it, to make sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands. However, had it been so, he would have destroyed everything related to that thing. And somehow Bellum had that plaque, she had the plans, had everything to recreate that device.

Berserk didn't know much, and if she did, she would tell him. There were no secrets between them. Or so he hoped. Questioning Brute would be a waste of time; even if Bers could get something out of her, he doubted Brute knew more than the red Punk. Going straight to the Oppressor would be suicide; Barron couldn't risk making such a dangerous -and stupid- move. His brothers seemed just as ignorant as he on the subject.

Only Jomo Momo remained.

"Good," he said, thinking, analyzing every way to get something out of Jomo.

"Good?" Brume said, confused. "After almost bringing Antarctica upon us, that's all you have to say?"

_... A portal opened and the Powerpuffs appeared._

No, there were Jomo and those girls left.

If Jomo didn't speak, possibly the Powerpuffs would. The problem was reaching them.

"We can't tell him about that," he pointed to the diagram, the beginning of his tactic forming in his mind. "If he asks, tell him that you haven't seen it, that you don't know if I've achieved anything, whatever."

"What? No," Bass jumped immediately. "We are not going to lie to him."

"It's the same thing he does," Barr replied. "Look, until we get more information about this thing and what Jomo wants it for, we're not gonna deliver anything to him."

"Do you think he's planning something bad?" Brume asked, trying to follow his brother's logic.

 _I think he's planning something that he considers good, but it's not the right thing to do_ , said his seven-year-old self. He was no longer that naive, weak and innocent child. He was a sixteen-year-old boy, the leader of the Rowdyrock Boys, the "Bonecrusher", the couple of the most terrifying -and beautiful- girl on the entire West Coast, and the only one willing to stand up to Jomo.

"I dunno. But until we find out his intentions, we're not gonna give him that thing. We are not gonna tell him anything, was that clear?"

Brume was about to agree when Bass cut him off.

"No," he said firmly. "We are not going to keep any secrets from him, much less lie to him."

"You will," Barr stated. "It's a damn order."

"He has protected the city for years, he has done the right thing hundreds of times, always for the common good. Just because you do not know the origin of the object does not mean that Jomo will do something bad."

"Bass," he hissed. If he could get Bass to obey his order, Brume would not object.

"Also," Brume interjected, "it would be very hypocritical of you to speak of Jomo's secrets when you have your own."

Barron glanced at Brume, who met his gaze without hesitation.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You say Jomo didn't mention anything to us about the plaque, but you don't tell us how you got it either."

"True," Bass agreed. "How did you get the plaque?"

_This has to be a fucking joke._

"I didn't," he replied. "Does it seem like I have it in one of my pockets?" His hands went to all the pockets of his jacket and jeans, being careful not to show them the components he had taken from the plaque.

"You did," Brume insisted. "Don't take us for idiots, Barron. This plan is made in your own handwriting."

"The only way you could have done it is with the plaque," Bass continued. "You saw the plaque and plotted all of that -which is extremely impressive considering you do not know anything about circuits and stuff."

"Without forgetting that some things are missing on that plan."

 _Shit, shit, SHIT._ Nothing he hated more than his brothers joining their brilliant minds to unravel some secret of his. Nothing he detested more than his brothers suspecting, doubting him, considering him inferior to them.

_He fell to the floor, for the fiftieth time. He tried to get up, but a bat hit him in the back, throwing him back. His face burned, his limbs ached, and he wanted to cry. However, the last time he had done it, he faced both Jomo's disappointment and teasing from his brothers._

_He was supposed to lead them, to be their leader, to be smarter, stronger, more resilient... to be much more than his brothers were together. He must be able to defeat Berserk Plutonium, who never cried, who returned all blows, who had taugh her sisters to fight and curse. He should be able to resist her blows and insults._

_"Jomo," Bass' robotic voice said. "I do not think he is suitable for the position."_

_"He is weak," Brume declared. "I think Bass is more competent to lead us than Barron."_

_Jomo didn't say anything; he just looked at the eldest of the brothers. Barr wanted to get up, he really wanted to, but his body couldn't. Everything hurt. His cheeks felt wet; he had started to cry, not because of the pain, but because of the comments of his brothers._

_"Thinks a lot with the 'heart'," Bass spat._

_"He's very weak and foolish," Brume sentenced._

_"Inept," said his little brother._

_"Fragile," said his middle brother._

_"Get up," said Berserk. "Get up, Barron Momo."_

_He was crying. He couldn't help it; it hurt every blow she gave to his body, every blow his brothers gave to his heart. Was he really weak? Was he really stupid?_

_He stood up, mentally preparing himself for another beating._

_"That's better," Berserk said. He tried to wipe his tears away, but she stopped him. "You look a lot more ridiculous when you do that."_

_"What?"_

_She rolled her eyes. "Pretending you don't cry only makes you weaker."_

_"You do not cry."_

_"True, but if I had to, I wouldn't hide it."_

_"Why?" he whispered._

_"Barron, I'm not an idiot," she said, confusing him even more. "You're trying to prove something to those silly brothers of yours." She was right; he had to show them he could lead them, that he was fit for the job. "But the only person you have to prove something to is yourself."_

_"Why are you telling me this?" he exclaimed, annoyed and embarrassed. "It's not like you care."_

_"Because if you keep fighting like you've done until now, the only thing you'll get is getting killed."_

NO. He wasn't inferior to them. He was THEIR fucking big brother, THEIR damn leader, who told them what to do and how to do it. It didn't take years to get their damn respect only to be doubted over a stupid object.

"Listen," he hissed, abandoning his self-control and letting the ice in him begin to permeate the room. Both Brume and Bass backed away, terrified. "I don't have the time or the humor to bear your damn questions. Nor do I have to give you a fucking explanation-"

"B-b-but-" Brume interrumpted him.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" he yelled. "If I tell you to do something, you do it! None of you will tell Jomo anything about this! Not until I find out why the hell he wants this shit!" he pointed to the sheet. "If I find out that you did it, that Jomo knows something he shouldn't, I'm not going to investigate who was the scoundrel who opened the mouth. UNDERSTOOD!?"

"Y-yes, sir!" they said in unison, trembling.

His head was starting to hurt. Ah, the migraine was gonna be terrible. Why did he have to answer the fucking phone?

"Good."

He took the sheet from the ends and headed off to his room, on the second floor of the observatory, the only place in that fucking space where he had "privacy". He didn't bother to gently close the door.

He folded the page again until it was a tiny square and deposited it in his desk drawer, the one with key, blowing out his breath. What a day he'd had and it wasn't even noon.

He went to bed, thinking of making up for the lack of sleep -which was worth it- and appeasing the headache. He lay on his stomach when his phone rang.

Barr went for it in his jeans pocket.

 _**From: ****  
** _ _Don't u think is 2 early 2 throw a tantrum?_

He smiled. How did she know it? He leaned on his elbows, trying to see through the window at the far end of the room the figure of a gorgeous redhead. Seeing nothing, he began to reply to the message.

 _**From: Barr  
** _ _**To: ****  
** _ _Don't u think is 2 early 2 spy on the neighbors?_

The response was almost immediate.

_**From: ****** _  
_Aren't neighbors_

**_From: Barr  
_ ** _And still you spy on me_

 **_From: ****  
_ ** _Not tru_

 **_From: Barr  
_ ** _No?_

 **_From: ****  
_ ** _Feel when the temp drops, and I know when it's 'cause of fucking global warming and when it's 'cause of u_

_What the fuck did they do now?_

What the fuck did they do? Barr had no answer to it. It was too many things and he didn't know if they were all his brothers' or his own fault.

 _**From: ****  
** _ _Should I stop the next ice age?_

Barr wanted nothing more than to have her in his arms again, warm and unconditional, to lose himself in those messy and badly cut curls, in the exotic smell of raspberries, in her fleshy red lips kissing him and leaving the trace on his skin, in the fierceness of her eyes when she fought a monster -or when they had sex-, in the way her fingers traced each of the tattoos he had, each muscle that tensed...

It would not be the first time she had sneaked into the observatory, and he doubted it would ever be the last. The problem was that the door didn't have a lock, and if Jomo was there, he hated it when the boys kept their doors closed. Therefore, they had decided to find a more discreet place so that they wouldn't have to worry about his brothers, or about Jomo, who could open the door at any moment 'cause the concept of "privacy" wasn't etched in their great minds. How ironic.

_**From: Barr  
**Not yet_

He dropped his face to the mattress, knowing that Berserk would pout for not having an excuse to escape the mansion. The image made him smile, calming his raging heart and stressed brain.

He managed to fall asleep, dreaming of a wild and disastrous redhead with fervent coral eyes, an imposing brunette with steel strenght and explosive temper, and a mischievous blonde whose laugh Viletown would never hear again.

* * *

_"Poor Berserk," Bass lamented. "I can not imagine what she must be feeling."_

_Never in his life had Barron wanted so bad to smash his brother's face. The worst thing was that he didn't mean it with derision; he mean it literally, as a fact._

_He couldn't get that image out of his head: Brat Plutonium, her beautiful dress stained red and her shiny hair covered in grime and blood. He couldn't stop listening to Berserk's sobs, to Brute's pleas. He couldn't... he couldn't leave_ her _alone. She, despite everything, had been a kind of support to him, advising him, offering her hand when he fell._

_He knew it meant nothing to her, but it did mean everything to him. He owed her. Even if it was a trap, if she tricked him, he couldn't leave her alone._

_It was not the right thing to do._

_That same night he went looking for her, risking being caught by the Oppressor or something like that. He didn't find her anywhere in Viletown._

_He was about to give up when he heard, very faintly, a sob, coming from the beach. Barr didn't hesitate for a second and went there, finding Berserk Plutonium on the beach, alone, crying uncontrollably._

_He walked over to her, sitting next to her. She didn't even flinch, didn't even bother to hide her pain, her loss._

_What was he supposed to say? "I'm sorry"? The only creature to blame for what had happened was that stupid monster. However... he felt guilt. He had to protect all the inhabitants of Viletown from all evils that had been and were to come. But he failed the Plutoniums. And he knew, deep down, that Berserk also bore the blame._

_She was her baby sister, the "heart" of the Punks. Barr couldn't imagine the pain she felt 'cause he had never lost one of his brothers. And now that he thought about it, he didn't think he'd ever had brothers. But this wasn't the time to think about that; it wasn't about him, it was about Berserk, the most feared and most powerful girl on the entire West Coast, who had lost part of her soul._

_He opened his mouth to say something, comfort her, whatever. But he said nothing; he limited himself to accompanying Berserk that night, to remove some guilt from her. At one point she leaned over him, leaning on his shoulder and taking his hand; Barr rested his head on hers and squeezed her hand, 'cause he didn't know what else to do, what was supposed to be the right thing to do._

_That he did, night after night. Until the crying turned to a drought and they could finally talk._

_First it was a simple exchange of words, which usually ended in comfortable silence and a few tears. Later they were more complex conversations; then they were requests._

_She wanted to go to school, to know everything about the world, but the Oppressor would never send her there. So Barr shared everything she wanted to know, everything she was missing, everything he could._

_Barr began to consider her a friend. She was a friend. His friend._

_A very beautiful, intelligent, perfect, human, friend. She... was his counterpart, his enemy, whom he had to destroy... whom he loved more than anything in the world._

_"Barr," she said, lost in though._

_"Yeah?" he whispered._

_"Tell me again about the stars."_

_"What about them?"_

_"How are they?"_

_He could tell her all about the stars one more time, a thousand times more. Names, life, physics..._

_"Beautiful."_

_She smiled. Not that malicious smile that had given her reputation. No. It was_ that _smile, the one she reserved just for him._

_"How do you know?"_

_"Because right now I'm seeing a beautiful pair of red-pink stars that cannot be compared to the beauty of any other."_

_She turned to see him. Her eyes were an excellent reflection of the stars; so beautiful, so perfect in that vivid coral color, that they only saw him and nothing else._

_It was at that moment that Barron Momo, the "Bonecrusher", the red leader of the Rowdyrock Boys, agreed with Bass: he used his heart too much, he thought with it. Perhaps Brume was also right: he was weak, unfit for the job._

_And both Bass and Brume could go to hell. They could say what they wanted about him. He did not care. Not anymore._

_Not when Berserk's hand was entwined in his, when her eyes were only focused on him, when it was his name that she murmured when the voices were unbearable, when she smiled so sympathetically, so sincerely, that there was nothing more beautiful in the world than that calm and happy version of the redhead._

_Not when he realized he was madly in love with Berserk Plutonium._

* * *

_"Poor child," said the one who saw everything, who knew everything._

_He was watching the dreams of one of the redheads, those that showed a beautiful young couple in love who thought they knew what love was._

_What could someone who hated their family know about love? What would someone who had never received love know about it?_

_He turned away from the small vortex that allowed him to see Barron Momo's dreams of love, so full of hatred and resentment that he thought this girl, whose demons dominated her, was the one to show him that he could love._

_He opened another, this time to watch Brume and Bass Momo, so confused and afraid of their older brother. And yet, reluctant to open those closed and square minds of theirs to understand what Barron was keeping, what he was hiding from them._

_"The game will be very entertaining," he muttered to himself._

_Yes it would be._

_Would the Rowdyrocks leader's hatred for his brothers be such that he would abandon them if he had to? Would the logic and reasoning of the "Duke of Reason" be so precise as to save his brothers? Would the "Brighter than the Brightest" have all the pieces and know how to interpret them when the time comes? But more importantly, would one heart and two brains, with such twisted conceptions of love, be enough to stop him?_

_"No," said his protégé, always certain that her master would achieve whatever he set his mind to. "You said it yourself; the hatred and fear that is inherent in them will destroy them first."_

_True. Hatred ate from within, and it was a matter of time before Brume and Bass began to hate their brother._

_As for Berserk Plutonium... her demons would take care of her. Possibly the Oppressor and Brute did it earlier._

_But the girl, with such a deranged mind, was no match for his power. However, watching her slowly, painfully decay, would be interesting. The redhead had a great willpower, great resistance to pain. How tolerant would she be when the "love of her life" turned out to be just a rotten fruit, with more hate than love to give her?_

_As if she knew what love was._

_The Oppressor distrusted her. Her sister insulted her at every chance she got. But they were both afraid of Berserk. Was she really in control as she claimed to be?_

_What was the limit of a mind so fragmented, so shattered, that it no longer knew which part it should follow?_

_"Master," his protégé interrumpted his thoughts, pointing to another vortex. He moved closer to her, curious what had provoked that uncertain reaction in her._

_Ah, the little blonde, hard researching the whereabouts of the three criminals he had freed. That would keep the girl busy, diverting her attention from what was really going on._

_Poor little girl; so lonely and lost, with the longing to fulfill the expectations of her deceased sisters, with the deep desire to join them._

_How much longer could a heart that had lost its way beat? How much longer could a mind that was focused on not giving up could keep working?_

_While Viletown was an amazing entertainment, Townsville was a reminder of why he did what he did. The reminder of what he had lost._

_Maybe that little broken blonde, whose most of her soul was already on the other side, whose role on the team was to be the "heart", could help him, help him achieve what he had sought for so much._

_After all, nothing was more sincere and treacherous than the heart._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Welcome to Homecoming, Mr. Doyle! I hope you have an afro wig 😏
> 
> PS: I dunno if I could post the next chapter before X'mas, sooooo, Merry Christmas!!! 🎄🎅🌟💖


	7. Quakes, Thunderstorms, And Other Ways To Kill The Mood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should be learning how to interpret an X-ray, but here I am...

_"Are you insane?!" Bubbles yelled, surprised and furious. "What the hell is going on in your doo-doo brains!?"_

_That was an excellent question, and Brick was dying to know the sisters' answer._

_"Bubbles," Blossom began, the same controlled and distant voice with which she gave the order to Buttercup to finish off Bioking. "Not now."_

_"Yes! Here and now!" she answered. Maybe it was time for Brick and his boys to retire, before they lost their hearing permanently. As much as he wanted to listen to the sisters, he valued their eardrums even more. "What was that!?"_

_BC kept clenching her fists, avoiding the gaze of the blue Puff. The blood that stained her clothes and face began to dry, but not the blood that lay on her hands, which was still dripping._

_Blossom just stared at her baby sister, hoping that blank stare would make her reconsider the show they were about to put on. Well, it was indeed time for the Rowdyruff Boys to leave._

_"If it hadn't been for them-" she pointed to the boys, "-she would have killed him, Bloss! You would have killed him!" she said, turning to BC._

_"HE WANTED TO KILL US!" Blossom exploded, unable to contain herself any longer._

_"WE ARE NOT MURDERERS!" roared Bubbles._

_"IT DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULD NOT DEFEND OURSELVES!" yelled BC, also losing patience._

_A shouting match began, with the boys not knowing if it was a good idea to intervene or disappear. They were mentioned from time to time, but it was nothing to warrant their presence._

**_HE WANTED TO KILL US!_ **

_Bioking had unleashed a huge sound wave, more powerful than Bubbles' supersonic scream, and although Blossom had prepared for the impact, covering BC with her body, it was the blondie who took the full blow by standing in front of them._

**_KILL US!_ **

_Brick knew that even with the Chemical X, Bubbles might not have come out alive from the hit._

**_KILL US._ **

_Screams. Someone was screaming. Everyone was screaming. Brick was no longer near the coast, where BC had been arrested from killing the bald misogynist._

_He was... near the skyscraper._ The skyscraper.

**_... Kill us..._ **

_He was standing a few steps away from a girl with red hair like his, her beautiful red bow in tatters, soaked in... in... blood._

**_Kill us..._ **

_A few steps from her lay her other sister, hair as black as night, motionless, her eyes dull green._

**_Kill us..._ **

_They had bumps and bruises, cuts, maybe a few broken bones and... and Chemical X didn't repair it._

**_Kill us..._ **

_Beside him was Butch, his jaw so clenched his teeth were possibly breaking. Boomer was behind them, holding Brick by the waist and Butch by the arm. Wh... Why?_

**_Kill us..._ **

_Brick felt his face wet. He was crying? He didn't cry. He felt like a sissy every time he did it._

_He looked at Butch, blinking repeatedly to chase away... tears. He didn't bother to see Boomer; possibly he was crying._

_But... why did they do it?_

**_Kill us..._ **

_He heard Princess land a few steps from him._

_For a moment he thought she would be glad, that she would make noises of glee -just as he should be doing-, but she just covered her mouth with both hands, unable to believe what was in front of her._

**_Kill us..._ **

_She turned to see him... she didn't hold back like Butch; she did not fight to chase away the tears that ran down her cheeks, colliding with her hands._

**_Kill us..._ **

_Brick didn't know what affected him the most, what hurt him the most._

**_Kill us..._ **

_If the laments of the citizens..._

**_Kill us..._ **

_Or the silent tears of his brothers, of Princess..._

**_Kill us..._ **

_Or the blood that stained BC's shirt..._

**_Kill us..._ **

_Or the blood that permeated Bloss' hair..._

**_Kill us..._ **

_Or the screams, the pleas of the youngest of the sisters, who held them and cried uncontrollably._

**_Kill us..._ **

_'Cau... 'C-'Cause... jus-just... just Bubbles Utonium... t-the "Joy and the Laughter"... just her..._

**_Kill us..._ **

_... had survived._

"BRICK!"

The red Rowdy's eyes snapped open. Slowly, his vision adjusted to the darkness, focusing on a pair of green spots, gleaming like a cat's eyes. Butch.

"What? What do you want?" he stammered sleepily. His head was spinning and he still had a vague memory of his dream.

"You were moving too much," Butch whispered, with both hands on his brother's shoulders. "And unless you were dreaming with _Believe_ ," he smirked, "I highly doubt it was a pleasant dream."

The half of Brick's brain that had reacted wanted to hit his brother. The other half, still groggy, wanted to go back to sleep.

"Ah," he said, sleep overcoming him. "'Kay. Thanks." He wasn't sure thanking Butch for waking him up was what he was supposed to do, but in his defense, only half of his brain served.

"Uh-huh." Butch turned away from him and left his room, saying nothing more.

Brick got ready to settle down to go back to sleep when he heard a series of voices coming from downstairs, from the TV. That caused the other half of his brain to react and finally wake up. He reached for the nightstand and turned on the phone.

_1:44_

He sighed. Well, he should have to herd the cattle back to their beds.

He got up, putting on the bunny slippers -a gift from Princess that he was forced to accept- and a sweatshirt that was on the floor. He took the phone and put it in his pocket.

He left the room and went down the stairs to the common room -a pigpen similar to Butch's room-, where his two brothers were sitting on the sofa and watching television.

"There's school tomorrow," he said, hoping to scare Boomer with his presence.

"Yes, dad," he grumbled instead. Butch didn't say anything, he seemed very entertained with the show.

"I'm serious," Brick said, moving closer to the coach. Both Booms and Butch had their legs covered with a blanket, possibly from Boomer, and they had grabbed the huge box of cookies Brick had hidden to prevent them from being swallowed in one sitting.

"I know," Boomer replied. "But... they're having a South Park marathon," he pointed to the TV.

The blue Rowdy hated the show, quite the opposite of Butch, who didn't even laugh at the tacky jokes. There was only one reason they both saw the first thing they found on TV and it wasn't exactly to satisfy Butch's dubious tastes.

"At two in the morning?"

"Who am I to tell the broadcasters what to do at dawn?"

Right. And who was Brick to tell his brothers they had to go to sleep when he didn't want to go back to bed. Not anymore.

"Okay, get out," he pushed both brothers to make room for him and jumped onto the couch. He took the box of cookies from Boomer before he swallowed them completely and offered it to Butch, who took a pair without taking his eyes off the screen.

Booms moved the blanket so that Brick stopped squashing it and covered him. The redhead didn't say anything, he just started to watch the show.

At some point in the night Boomer moved closer to him, taking his older brother's hand. The redhead looked at him out of the corner of his eye; he hated that his little brother cried, not because he didn't bother to hide it, but 'cause Brick couldn't do anything to comfort him.

Also, after a while, he felt Butch's little twitch, the one that came when he had too much anger in his body and he struggled to contain. Brick raised his other arm and put his hand on the green Rowdy's shoulder, trying to calm him down.

Few nights the three brothers had nightmares. They rarely spoke about it.

Very rarely the dream was the same: three girls who managed to save the day, at a high cost.

They remained on the couch, falling asleep throughout the early morning hours, until Brick's phone alarm rang to warn them that they had survived the night, that finally was beginning another day.

Another day without seeing a pair of arrogant pink eyes, without feeling the brute force of a brunette... without hearing the genuine laugh of a blonde.

* * *

_"You aren't afraid?"_

_"Of what?"_

_"That one day you won't save the day."_

_She laughed, as if that was the biggest stupid thing she'd ever heard._

_"No."_

_Of course not. Because they were Powerpuff Girls, and they would_ always _save the day._

_"I'm scared, Brick," she said. "But not about that."_

_That was an even stranger confession._

_"Then what about?"_

_She sighed, looking toward the horizon._

_"I'm afraid that... that one day, regardless of whether or not we save the city, our lives will be the price for it."_

* * *

"This is ridiculous!" exclaimed Princess, indignant. "Utterly ridiculous!"

"You're the ridiculous one!" Mike contradicted her, at the top of the ladder, trying to put the disco ball that Princess had ordered. "Did you see me as an electrician!?"

Only Michael Believe was capable of declaring war on Princess.

"Oh, just shut the fuck up and get it right!"

"What do you think I've been trying to do for the last twenty minutes!?"

"Well, nothing if you haven't finished placing it! And, oh dear Lord, you're putting it crooked!"

"Why don't you come and do it!?"

"Trust me, Mikey, you won't like me going up and doing it!"

"HA! I'd love to see you pull off that 'feat'!"

Bubbles sighed and put down the notebook on her lap.

"You should take a picture of her," Brick proposed her, holding her watercolors in one hand.

"There's no challenge in it."

"Painting Princess isn't a challenge," he said. "It's a damn mission impossible."

"If you tell her to stay put, I'm sure she will," Snyder said from behind them, sighing for Princess.

"If it comes from you," said Brick, "I'm sure she'll do it pleased."

"Oh, c'mon!" Snyder exclaimed. "She's not a bad person, just..."

"What the fuck are you fucking doing!?" screeched Princess.

"What do I seem to do!?" Mike yelled.

"Shit it seems!"

"I already told you that if you don't like what I'm doing, come and do it yourself, you damn witch!"

"WITCH!?" she screamed furiously. "Get out of there, Michael Believe! Move or you'll see what this 'witch' will do to you!"

"Whoops, what fucking scary! I'm scared shit!"

"She's just unbearable and pedantic?" Brick completed for the brunette.

She frowned, thinking of a good answer. But she had to admit that Brick had some point in his claim. Princess, while she was no longer the obnoxious child she was at five, could still be unbearable and pedantic. Of course, at least to Bubbles and Robin, she was much kinder than to the boys.

"Why are they doing all of this the mere day?" Bubs asked. "They had the whole month to plan it and get it ready, didn't they?"

"'Cause the decorations just arrived yesterday," Snyder explained.

Right; being Princess, she had possibly ordered the most expensive things in the market for the party, and that implied that they would arrive a day before 'cause of the time it took to prepare them and so on.

"Thank goodness!" Princess said, raising her arms to emphasize her words. "Boomer! Come on and put this damn thing on!" She pointed to the disco ball Mike was hugging.

Boomer, who had just entered the gym, stared at her as if another head had grown. Princess thought everyone knew how to install one of those things?

"Do I have the face of an electrician?"

"You look like you'll do better than the stupid guy on the ladder!"

"Who are you calling stupid, stupid!?"

"The only stupid individual on the ladder!"

Booms walked slowly away from them and approached Brick. "What's their problem?"

"The disco ball," all three answered in unison. "And that no one here is an electrician," added Bubs.

"Was there no installation service?"

"Yes," Brick said. "But we're talking about Princess."

"True."

She might be extremely wealthy -for mere compensation of her father- but she was also somewhat stingy.

"BOOMER!" roared the redhead. The blue Rowdy jumped in shock.

And very, very despot.

"Good luck," Brick told him and gave him a little shove to approach an angry Princess.

Mike and Princess continued to fight, with Booms doing his best to appear invisible as he tried to put the ball in. It was obvious that he didn't know what he was doing either, but he knew that not obeying the redhead had "serious" consequences.

"What the hell are you doing!?" yelled Princess and Mike, staring at Boomer in disbelief.

"I put the ball in?" he said, pointing at the ball.

The screaming began again, this time against the blue Rowdy who was only following the orders of the Morbucks heiress.

"What do you see in her?" Brick asked Snyder, who was still looking at Princess with puppy dog eyes.

"The same you see in Mike." No no no. Mike wasn't obnoxious, pedantic, nor a rich, despotic brat who felt like the center of the universe. And if so, Brick would never have laid eyes on the golden-haired boy.

"Mike's parents didn't pay half the school to be friends with him."

"They pay to be friends with Princess?" Bubs chimed in. "And I am doing it for free?"

"So it seems."

"That was in elementary school," Snyder said, trying to defend Princess. "She isn't like that anymore."

"Yeah well," Brick continued. "Mike has never be-"

"C'mon, you hateful witch! Come and do it if you say so much that we are doing stupid things!" the golden-haired boy complained.

"The only hateful here is you, frog-faced boy!"

"FROG FACE!? WHO THE FUCK DO YOU CALL FROG FACE, YOU TADPOLE FACE!?" roared Mike.

"DO YOU DARE CALL ME TADPOLE, YOU-YOU FACE OF-OF SMASHED OPOSSUM!?"

"You must admit," Bubs said, "that he is the only one of us who stoops to Princess' absurd insults."

Brick kept watching the scene of his... of the person he liked and his best friend, both of them yelling increasingly ridiculous insults. Even Butch, with his brain full of snail slime, had more imagination to offend someone, but Brick wasn't the one to interrupt the insult contest that was going on at the time.

"Let's leave it to we see something in them," Brick said.

"Cool," agreed the brunette.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Bubs was smiling, probably because of the stupid things they both said to defend... the people they liked. Now he knew how Butch felt every time Boomer said something about Bubbles, just to upset the green Rowdy.

The Puff's phone rang. She took it out and checked the message that had received.

"I have to go," she announced, putting her things away. "By the way," she told Snyder, "the Professor agreed to bring us."

"Oh perfect!" Robin gladdened. "Then see you in an hour or two."

Bubs nodded and said goodbye to them, walking away from the duel of insults.

"GET OUT OF THERE, MICHAEL!"

"MAKE ME, YOU WRETCHED BITCH!"

"Should we intervene?" Snyder asked, amused. Brick couldn't deny that watching Mike and Princess fight was always so funny, especially when Mike refused to obey the redhead's orders.

"PIPE RAT!"

"MATCH HEAD!"

"Nope," Brick said, biting his tongue to keep from laughing.

"By the way," Snyder said, not taking her attention away from the two individuals who kept yelling at each other instead of putting that ridiculous ball. "Do you already have what you're gonna wear for the night?"

"Yep."

"Is it the same as you're wearing now?"

"Yep." He leaned back, on his elbow.

"CLOWN!"

"PUPPET!"

And while they were insulting each other, Mike placed that big disco ball with the help of Boom, who just kept quiet while they continued yelling at each other.

"Can you accompany me to get something?" Robin asked, frowning at Princess and Mike's lack of imagination to keep getting offended.

"I thought you already had what to wear." To have been on top of all the redhead's plans, it was surprising that Snyder didn't have what she was gonna wear for tonight's clown party ready.

"Yeah, but I missed the shoes."

"PUMPKIN HEAD!"

"SALAMANDER EYES!"

This was already getting boring. "Yes," he accepted. "It's not like I have anything better to do."

* * *

"Tell me it's a fucking joke," Brick complained.

"You don't like it?" Butch asked, a huge afro wig on his head. God, that was a thousand times worse than the Elvis suit Snyder had found at the thrift shop and begged Brick to wear -which he refused.

"No."

"But it looks cool! And Freckles said that we had to dress according to the theme."

Sometimes Brick wondered where his pay was for being Princess' friend.

"Butch, if I don't like it, what makes you think Bubbles will?"

"'Cause you're not a pretty blue-eyed blonde," he replied.

"Pretty?" Brick said, raising his eyebrows. Butch opened his mouth but said nothing when he realized what he had said. Heh, idiot.

"Well yes," said the green Rowdy, recovering. "I ain't blind."

Suuuuure, and Brick was the Queen of England.

"Uh-huh, whatever you say. But seriously, that thing looks ridiculous on your already massive giant head."

Butch grimaced and tossed the wig onto the couch. Brick prayed that he hadn't spent a fortune on that thing. "I'll give it to Teeth; he'll find a good use for it or something."

Or possibly he would wear it, because from what Brick understood, Mitchelson had gotten a white suit with a ridiculous flame print and hideous white platform boots. And he didn't wanna imagine what Booms would wear for the night.

His brother took something else out of his bag -had he gone to training or to buy a costume?-: a hideous hippie shirt, in various shades of yellow and orange, and an even more hideous white flared pants. He was beginning to believe that Snyder had chose Butch's clothes too.

"What the fuck is that?"

"What I will wear tonight. Why? Do you wanna use it?"

Brick laughed. "Even if they paid me a million dollars, I wouldn't wear that."

Butch looked from his clothes to his brother and back. "Does it look that bad?"

"My succulent little garden snail," Brick said, walking over to his brother and patting him on the shoulder. "I think you mistook homecoming for a circus 'cause," he grabbed the hideous shirt with his thumb and forefinger and dropped it to the couch, "unless your plan is to make Bubs laugh with your disgusting jokes, the only thing that you'll cause the poor girl is to be sorry. And shame."

His brother grunted.

"And then what do I do? In an hour we have to go there and this is the best I could get."

"Wear your football uniform," Brick suggested. "I don't think there was no football in the eighties."

"They haven't given it to me yet."

Well, he did what he could.

"And what 'bout you? Will you go like this?"

Brick glanced at his pants and the red sweatshirt that, for some strange reason, Princess had given him five sizes bigger. Oh, and his trusty red cap. Something decent, comfortable, and with what he did not look like a clown.

"Of course not," he was forced to say. Now that he saw it, he had to find something slightly more appropriate. "I'm gonna change, obviously."

Butch nodded, the slight twitch on his eye starting to become visible. The red Rowdy put his hand on Butch's shoulder. "You'll find something."

"In less than an hour?"

Brick frowned. "Let's hope so." He also expected to find something in his room in less than an hour.

Butch snorted and went to the second floor, probably looking for something in his room -and Booms'- that might serve him. Brick hoped he didn't have to invoke HIM for some fashion advice. The last thing he needed was to deal with the devil.

His phone began to ring. He took it out of his pocket and saw the glowing photo of Princess.

_Talking about the devil..._

"What?" he answered.

" _'Oh, hello dear Princess. How can I help you in this beautiful sunset to please your benevolent and admirable person?'_ " she said in a deeper voice, imitating Brick. "At least say hi!"

The redhead sighed. "Hi. What do you want?"

" _I wonder if you're like that with Mikey._ "

"No, only with you."

" _I should dress up as Mikey so you can treat me like a real princess._ "

"The only noble thing in you is your 24K gold crown. What do you want?" repeated Brick, needing to hang up to find something to wear.

" _Weeeeeeeeell... a sweet little bird told me around that you needed fashion advice._ "

Ah... dammit, Snyder.

"By any chance the sweet little bird is blue and brown?"

The silence that followed confirmed that Snyder had indeed open her muzzle. Unfortunately, the girl wasn't there to carry out the second duel of absurd insults of the day.

" _Do you want my help or not?_ "

Better Princess than Snyder.

* * *

Had he known the redhead would waste his time, he would have bought Elvis' suit. Basically, he had put on what he used to wear daily -jeans, sneakers, and the only clean white shirt he owned... and the cap-, he just traded his jean jacket for a leather one.

As for Butch, he simply dressed in black, like John Travolta in that annoying musical movie "Grease", which in turn matched the black ear studs.

A foul odor penetrated his nose. He hadn't put cologne or any product on his hair... but he couldn't say the same for the guy next to him.

"Did you put gel on?" Brick asked, noticing that Butch had also pushed his hair back. Booms was right; the green Rowdy looked better like that than with the spikes.

"Obviously. How else would this amazing hair stay in place?" he bragged, running his hand through his hair.

_How else would your terrible hair hold its stink?_

_Note to self: get rid of that stinky gel._

If Butch wanted to do his hair so badly, then he would have to use spray or find another gel that didn't stink as much as the one he used.

He approached the parking spot that Boomer had set aside for him, apparently the vast majority of the students had decided to show off their cars.

He parked and sighed nervously. There were too many people who, unlike on any other day, could pay him more attention than necessary. And... well, he would be accompanied by Mike, who he hadn't officially invited but they had agreed to go to the stupid homecoming together. And since it was only an agreement, they hadn't agreed that Brick would pick him up at his house or something like that, which at the same time meant that he wasn't in the obligation to invite him to dance -in addition, he didn't know how to-, so he might as well sit around watching Mike Believe conquer the dance floor by himself or with someone else as pathetic as Boomer who had decided to go alone.

 _This is ridiculous,_ he told himself. _You're the fucking leader of the Rowdyruffs. It's just a party... and it's Mike. Michael Believe. Who you have known for years, who is your friend..._

"I'd say more than a friend," Butch said.

"What?" Was he speaking out loud?

"Mike." Noticing that his older brother did not understand him, he added: "You have that face when you overthink things."

Brick wasn't in the mood for some kind of sermon from Butch. "Just get out of the car."

"Yes, sir," he took the ridiculous wig and left. The red Rowdy took a deep breath and went to follow his brother.

The music was coming all the way to the parking lot, and it was a very good choice. Boom and Mitchelson had indeed complied with Princess request, as did everyone who came to the scene.

Wigs, voluminous hairdos, flared pants, leggings, oversized boots, square heels, sneakers, pleated skirts, hippie shirts, glitter blouses, fringed jackets, studded jackets, ridiculous glasses, costume jewelry, gel all over it, cheap cologne... Either the students had reluctantly followed Princess' orders or had really been excited about her idea.

"It seems like the only clown here is you," Butch sneered. In his defense, the redhead didn't think they were really going to play along with Princess. It was worth mentioning that, contrary to what Butch believed, Brick had followed the redhead's instructions to dress according to the theme. So, in conclusion, they were all clowns.

"Walk, can you?" he shoved the green Rowdy from behind. He laughed and went ahead, possibly handing that ridiculous wig to Mitchelson and looking for the "pretty blue-eyed blonde".

He positioned himself right behind a group of four people, all wearing the same afro wig and terrible flared pants. From what they were saying, they really liked the theme Princess had chosen for the party.

The gym -which was actually the basketball court but no one cared- was packed with strobes, streamers, faux diamonds, star figures and more, accompanying the gigantic disco ball that Mike and Booms had tried to hang a few hours ago. One section of the floor was a lighted dance floor, and near it was Boomer, in the DJ booth they had set up, wearing a blue shirt with a yellow flower print and huge heart-shaped glasses.

Alongside him, in the white faux leather suit and pink flame print, as well as a matching pink shirt, was Mitchelson, unreservedly wearing the afro wig Butch bought.

Neither of them seemed to be paying attention to the growing audience; they just had their eyes on the entire sound system and their ears covered with headphones.

Brick had to admit that, for having installed everything in the same day, it looked exceptional.

He felt an arm entwine around his. He turned his head to meet the voluminous hair of Princess, who had apparently decided to fluff her hair as much as the mayoress'. She was wearing a purple dress -did she know another color?-, shiny and loose. And why not, she had taken out all the gold jewelry and put it on her.

Like Brick, she looked nervous and extremely uncomfortable around people.

"Why bother organizing this if it bothers you to hang out with people anyway?" he asked.

"For the same reason that you bother to come even though it bothers you to hang out with people," she said, looking around for someone. Brick guessed someone with blue eyes and brown hair.

Someone who danced with an attractive boy with golden hair. Princess saw the couple too, and swallowed. So the "one and only" heir to the Morbucks fortune was able to look like a dog with its tail between its legs when she saw Robin Snyder.

_Says the red puppy who forgets how to talk to a hazel-eyed boy._

"This is ridiculous," Princess said. "We are sublime, aren't we?" He nodded, more because his brain no longer processed anything than to agree with the girl. "We are..."

What? Poor redheaded saps who got a blue screen every time they saw Robin Snyder and Mike Believe?

While they both took courage to approach and not screw up in front of those two, Brick noticed that, at one of the tables near their... the couple who danced very happily, was the "pretty blue-eyed blonde", with a huge yellow knitted sweater and her high pigtails, moving slightly with the rhythm of the music.

More than uncomfortable, she seemed lost. Or maybe she was waiting for the jerk in black who started to approach her, dancing just as ridiculously as the rest of the individuals on that dance floor.

Bubbles started to smile before fixing her gaze on Butch. He pretended to throw a kind of rope that "caught" Bubs, inviting her to get up from her chair to make a fool of herself next to Butch.

The "pretty blue-eyed blonde" got up and walked over to Butch, dancing. He took her by the hands, moving her even more. Bubbles didn't hold back and kept up with the guy, smiling and laughing.

Maybe the blue Puff saved the day, but Butch saved _her_ day.

"If he can," Princess said, straightening up and puffing out her chest, "so can we."

Sure they could. They could do it if only they were able to move their feet and their hands stop sweating. Maybe it was hot in the gym; after all there were too many people.

"Let's go!" exclaimed Princess, without moving her feet. Well, if she wasn't able to move, he would and drag her away. He would do it as soon as his legs responded.

_It's just Mike. Mike Believe. You have been friends for years. And you like him._

"This is ridiculous," he hissed. Because it was.

He was the fucking leader of the fucking Rowdyruff Boys, he was born out of a fucking toilet, he was resurrected by the fucking devil, he fought hundreds of times against the fucking Powerpuffs, he paid the fucking bills, he maintained the fucking observatory... and legally he was the fucking son of a fucking monkey and the fucking devil. And couldn't he get close to Mike Believe?

"Just..." he began. "Okay, let's go." He grabbed Princess by the arm and forced her forward.

As they got closer to Snyder and Mike, Brick was more convinced of wanting to confront HIM than the butterflies in his stomach.

He was about to stop when Michael looked away, his colorful hazel eyes now looking at the redheaded couple. He gave him a huge smile and started walking toward them, Snyder hot on his heels.

God, he looked so much more handsome than any other day. Unlike the rest of the people, Mike didn't look like a clown. Oh no. He knew how to wear those grimy jeans with that rose gold-star patterned shirt and low brown boots. Was this heaven?

Beside him, Princess was also speechless when she saw Robin Snyder in a simple yellow flowered dress and wearing Mary Janes. She did look like a clown with her voluminous ponytail and the flowers that decorated her hair. But who was Brick to question his best friend's tastes.

"Tell me I look fabulous," Princess whispered, panicking.

"You look fabulous," Brick replied, unable to stop staring at the stunning golden boy who was about to approach him. "What about me?"

"You look good, hot stuff," she replied. Good. Perfect. Excellent.

"At last you arrive!" Snyder exclaimed cheerfully, still smiling at Princess. Before she could utter a word, Robin took her hand and pulled her away from Brick, leading her onto the dance floor. Princess didn't complain or anything like that, she just let her sweetie drag her away.

"What Robby said doubled," Mike said, smiling. Brick kept his hands in his jacket pockets, but did nothing to stop the smile that was forming on his face. What had he done right to get into heaven? "Shall we?" Mike asked, holding out his hand.

Brick didn't hesitate to take it, also being dragged to where the girls were, dancing, one more besotted than the other.

* * *

If she ever thought the theme of homecoming was absurd, now she regretted it.

Never in her life did she imagine seeing the two most stubborn redheads in the whole city, following the instructions of two Normies to dance. Yeah, Princess Morbucks and Brick Jojo dancing. Even a log moved more than they did, but she had to admire the sacrifice they made for their respective sweethearts.

At some point, Boom made his way to the dance floor and began to dance, winning it over on his own and then with Robby. Princess was left behind, along with Brick and Mike, 'cause the redhead had a limit regarding giving pity to others in public.

After a while, Boom swapped places with Mitch, in a huge afro wig, who started to liven up the party even more.

As for Bubbles, she hadn't had fun like this in a long time; laughing at Brick and Princess in their failed attempt to dance, cheering on Boom and Mitch as they became the life of the party, pushing Mike to dance in the center of the crowd alongside Robin, and dancing with Butch the entire time.

Neither Bubs nor Butch really knew how to dance, but at least they made a fool of themselves together.

 _For God's sake, will you let go of his hand?,_ said the little voice of BC.

Bubbles noticed that she had indeed not let go of his hand. And she like having her hand entwined in his, so BC could shut the fuck up and hold for a while longer.

 _Bubsy, maybe you should do it before the gossip starts,_ the little voice belonging to Bloss commented.

To hell with that. People always invented gossip just because they had nothing better to do and their lives were so boring that they preferred to screw up someone else's life.

 _Well, when the Jeff and Mary gossip started, it turned out they were actually dating,_ Bloss reminded her.

_Yeah, but I don't date Butch._

_No, just that you are always touching in some way,_ BC said disgustedly.

 _That's not true,_ Bubs replied. Because it wasn't. And at that moment they were... they were dance partners. They could hold hands, maybe put her hands on his shoulders, maybe put his hands on her waist... many things were valid when dancing with someone.

 _Is it also valid to hug when you are in the park? Or hold hands every time you see each other?,_ asked BC.

_That has never happened._

_He carried you the other day when you stopped the plane,_ said Bloss, supporting BC.

 _Whose side are you on?,_ she asked her sister's voice as Butch pulled her closer to him again.

As the night progressed, the songs Mitch and Boom mixed were getting louder and more moving, but still keeping the party theme.

As Butch led her, she noticed Brick, holding Mike's hands and widening his eyes at the steps Mike was showing him to follow. Near them was Princess, static, trying to process what Robin explained so that they could continue dancing. Ah, poor redheaded divas.

She noticed the clock in the gym. _8:3..._ Without warning, Butch's arm came around her completely and lifted her up, distracting her from the clock, her face coming up to level with his.

 _If you kiss, I swear I'm gonna throw up in your brain_ , BC said, possibly faking gagging.

 _Why would I kiss with him?,_ asked Bubs, feeling a blush creep across her cheeks and ears. Whether it was from being so close to Butch or from her sister's comment, she didn't know.

 _Because,_ Bloss chimed in, somehow smiling, _you like him._

 _And pitifully, he likes you too,_ BC replied, resigned.

Bubbles didn't have time to reply to the voices of her sisters 'cause Butch, contrary to what BC thought, started dancing, with her simply holding on as best she could to keep from falling. Disadvantages of being almost half a meter smaller than Butch.

Out of sheer inertia, she brought her leg up to his waist, achieving greater stability. The green Rowdy didn't seem to be fazed by that action, just pressed her further against him.

_I'll change my comment to: if you fuck, I swear I'm gonna shit in your brain._

She ignored BC, concentrating on the handsome boy who kept dancing with her in his arms, all smiles and little glimpses of power in his eyes. Bubs felt that energy radiate from him. Usually it was anger that flowed from him to her; but at the time, it was... she wasn't sure what it was, but it definitely wasn't the homicidal impulse that Butch used to carry with him.

 _He's_ _happy_ , Blossy said. _Like you._

If not for her sister's observation, Bubs would not have realized that she was grinning from side to side, corresponding with Butch, who was simply moving around with no idea what he was doing.

Without warning, he began to spin, causing Bubs to hug his neck tighter and let out a little cry of surprise. However, his laughter rubbed off on her, and soon, the usual reminder of looking for the clock was forgotten for a little while longer.

* * *

"I swear to you," said Princess, holding Robin's hands tightly, "that if they don't kiss right now, I'm going to fire them."

Robin shifted her attention from the gorgeous redhead to Brick, who was trying to preserve some of his remaining dignity as he kept pace with Mikey. Only Michael Believe was able to leave the "great" Brick Jojo speechless. It wasn't every day that you could see the Rowdy's leader follow someone else's orders, much less from someone as normal as Mike.

"Not them," Princess said. " _Them_ ," she shook her head, pointing to another couple.

The brunette than noticed the other _couple_. The one made up of Bubbles Utonium and Butch Jojo, another pair of idiots who were so, so obvious, to everyone but themselves.

Bubsy was in the arms of the Rowdy, smiling and laughing, _happy_. Robin felt a little twist in her heart; that always happened to her every time she saw Bubsy express something good that was genuine. For his part, Butch, always looking for something to invest his extra energy in, seemed to be using it to brighten up Bubsy's night.

"Prince," she said, looking 'discreetly' at Bubsy and Butch, "they don't work for you."

"I don't care."

Ah, she wished Princess could threaten to fire them; however, since that wasn't possible, the best they could do was be patient.

And give them a little push.

"I have an idea," Robin told her. "Maybe it'll work."

"I don't know what it is," the redhead declared. "But I support you."

Robin smiled gratefully at her and walked over to plant a kiss on Princess' cheek. The redhead blushed, touching her cheek and following Robin as she walked over to Boomie and Mitchy.

If anyone could give Butch the push, it was his brother. And who better than Robin to encourage Bubsy to take the next step.

* * *

Butch left her on the floor when, suddenly, Boom and Mitch changed the rhythm of the night. From having upbeat music, they went to something calmer, almost... _romantic._

 _Yuck_ , BC snapped.

She looked around, the students at first out of the loop but composing themselves and approaching their respective partners -or going to sit down because the situation had become somewhat uncomfortable.

She caught a glimpse of Mary, sitting on Jeff's lap, hugging him. Also this Cam, who apparently got the quarterback, Peter, to invite her to homecoming. Julie Simth, her old -and hateful- neighbor was there, dancing to the beat of the music with Kim Ee. Oh, and apparently Wes Goingon had stolen the gaze from Josh Meyer, the contender for class president.

Bubs then noticed Princess, more comfortable with something that did not require much talent to dance, surrounding Robin by the waist. She would never have imagined Princess Morbucks, the most obnoxious person in town, with a deep hatred of the Powerpuffs and everything related to them, dancing and grinning at Robin Snyder, the beautiful blue-eyed girl and best friend of Bubs.

And if they had told her that Brick Jojo, the red leader of the Rowdyruff Boys, the "Bludgeoner", would be running his hands up and down Michael Believe's lower back, smiling like a fool 'cause the boy he liked was dancing with him and had wrapped his arms around Brick's neck... Bubbles would have told that person, at that moment, that they was high.

Even Boom, who hadn't invited anyone, was leaning on Mitch, both rocking one side to the other, possibly imagining some romantic scene from "Titanic" to get into the mood.

A hand appeared in her field of vision. Butch, holding out his hand, uncomfortable.

 _No,_ Bloss said. _Insecure._

Why would he be insecure? They had already danced all night, it was not like Bubs wanted to refuse to dance with him something... a little more...

 _Intimate?,_ Bloss completed for her.

 _And she says she doesn't like him. What will it be when she likes him?,_ BC grumbled.

 _Oh, shut up,_ Bubs reproached her.

She didn't like Butch. He just... _fascinates you? 'Cause even a blind person can see that._

She ignored BC again, taking Butch's hand and moving closer to him. Due to the great difference in height -which the heels could not compensate- it was difficult to be as close together as the rest of the couples, but that was not an impediment for them not to be able to dance.

Bubbles stood on her tiptoes, while Butch crouched down. Anyone who saw them would see that it was a comical scene. And it really was, because she couldn't help the giggle that came out. Butch smirked at her, also chuckling softly. His free hand went to her waist, and Bubs' to his shoulder.

They began to move gently, slowly, following the sweet rhythm of the melody.

A part of the clock began to appear in her vision, but she ignored it. It didn't... it didn't matter what damn time it was. Not when she had a pair of bright green eyes fixed on her, when Butch had his hands on her... hands that were capable of destroying everything that was put in front of them but that, in that moment, were ready to hug her, to protect her.

She allowed herself a small moment of calm, of peace. She stopped thinking about what time it was, about how the criminals had escaped and their possible whereabouts, about the voices of her sisters fighting among themselves in her head...

There was only Butch Jojo, the "Baron of Berserk", the... the handsome boy with green eyes and hair as dark as if it had never known light, with an extraordinary force that could break almost anything and a great fury flowing in his inner... a fury that wasn't present when he looked at her, just as the pain of loss wasn't present each time she got lost in the different shades of green in his eyes.

If she looked closer, there was a slight hint of blue in the center, and a faint brown in the left eye. And they all moved, shone, as if they were the ocean lit by the sun.

Or like that lawn in Farmsville at sunset, just before it was cut, swaying in the winds, giving her that feeling of calm.

* * *

"I think they're going to kiss," Princess crooned. Oh, Robin longed to see that; she longed to see her best friend happy.

But she was very comfortable in the redhead's arms, with her cheek resting on her clavicle.

Maybe, just maybe, Robin could also kiss Princess.

* * *

She pulled her hand away from his, now positioning it on his neck, just like the one in his shoulder; she tried to interlace them, but the tips of her fingers barely managed to brush. Butch put both hands squarely on her waist, trying to pull her even closer to him despite the little big problem with height.

Why did all the boys have to be so tall?

Well, certainly Blossy would be as tall as Mike, maybe a little taller. She wouldn't have to throw her head back to see everyone's face. Nor would she have to overstretch her arms to wrap -or try to- a boy's neck.

Surely she would have to crouch down like Butch, so that her breath brushed the face of the person who was much shorter than her.

And of course she wasn't going to be on her tiptoes to try... to... to kiss... to kiss a green... green... green Rowdy... Rowdyruff.

No. Blossom could kiss the blue or the red one if she wanted. 'Cause... 'cause the green one was hers.

Just a little closer. Just... for God's sake, she could fly, stop this ordeal of not reaching him. But just for once, she wanted to feel like any other teenager who was about to kiss the boy they liked, to do it her way, as she had once dreamed of. Feel... _free._

Their lips brushed as the floor began to move, as did all the ornaments hanging from the ceiling. Bubbles jerked away from Butch. Great, a damn quake. Just what she needed.

The screams of the students gave her a headache. For heaven's sake, it was California, they were basically on the San Andreas Fault; earthquakes were inevitable throughout that area. Thank goodness there were teachers there, so they knew how to calm the students down and evacuate them to the parking lot.

Out of panic, the vast majority of the students ran outside, moving as far away as possible from the building and the utility poles; in general, of everything that could fall apart.

Everything was rocking from side to side, the shaking getting stronger and stronger. Okay, it was true that earthquakes could be like this, and could last a few minutes -in the worst case.

 _Calm,_ Bloss reassured her. Sure, because she wasn't there to feel the floor under her feet move nonstop, listening to all the falling things and the flashing lights. The last thing she needed was a blackout in the city.

"This must be a joke," Princess puffed, grabbing Robin.

"I don't see how this can be a fucking joke," Brick replied, with Mike taking his hand. Awww, even in adversity they kept showing their love.

 _The pot calling the kettle black_ , said BC.

The screams she heard prevented her from responding to her sister. She turned abruptly, trying to find the source of those cries for help.

 _Northwest!_ , Bloss yelled.

Bubbles let go of Butch's hand and headed down town, where she guessed the chaos would be worse than the screams from a high school.

Indeed, there were people in the streets, scared, observing the buildings swaying from one side to another. Bubs prayed that the buildings were well built and would last long enough. In one of them, the AVA Laboratories building, there was a large crowd of people.

She flew over there, to the fifth floor, breaking the window. The investigators' face of relief was very evident, and very well founded since the building did not look like it was going to take another shake.

She had to get them all out of there.

"Listen!" she yelled, getting the full attention of everyone on that floor. "I need you to do just what I tell you!"

* * *

Butch, like the rest of the students there, was watching the baby blue trail that Bubbles had left, possibly heading to save a few clueless idiots who hadn't left their homes, jobs, or wherever they might be.

However, amazement was not what his brother reflected. Obviously Brick wasn't amazed either; he also had powers, almost the same as Bubs. But he didn't share Butch's anguished face, which wasn't the same anguish that Boomer displayed.

No no no. There was something else there.

Brick knew things; he had seen it all; _everything_ _._

Butch could say what he wanted, but he could never convince Brick that he was not about to kiss the "pretty blue-eyed blonde". Unfortunately, a quake had to ruin the mo-

An alarm was heard. An alarm that Brick didn't like at all.

He turned to see Boomer, who nodded and rose, directing his gaze to the horizon. From the expression on his face and the very pallor it acquired, it was definitely something much worse than the shaking that would not subside.

Booms landed next to Brick, worried.

Before his brother could utter a word, the screams grew louder. He began to hear the cars honking, the desperate screams, glass breaking... and a damn earthquake that didn't stop and that would surely devastate Townsville.

"SHUT UP!" bellowed Mike beside him. Everyone kept silent, awaiting orders from someone who, despite the looming chaos, managed to stay calm much better than the adults on the scene. Or so it seemed, because the strong grip the boy had on Brick's hand told a very different story.

"Okay, peasants," Princess said, drawing their attention. "You already know what to do when there is a tsunami alert, right? Go to your cars, and head East without stopping."

The protests and crying began. Between Mike and Princess managed to appease the crowd, with Robin getting them to start retreating. Brick approached his brothers.

"I'm going to get our things," he told them. "Listen, we'll have to help Bubs."

Both Rowdys looked at him, skeptical. The redhead did not usually intervened in any situation. However, it wasn't everyday that there was an earthquake and a tsunami just around the corner. And much less a... a... a thunderstorm?

How weird. That morning he read the weather forecast; no rains were reported for that night. Unless...

An endless earthquake. A tsunami. A thunderstorm... A prison break. And Butch, visibly worried, much more than usual.

"Butch," he hissed. "What the fuck do you know?"

The green Rowdy then looked at him, _really_ looked at him. Shit. SHIT!

"You always say we shouldn't help," he began, trying to justify the big little secret he had hidden.

"Doesn't mean I don't wanna know, idiot."

"Butch," Booms said, trying to defuse the tension between the two brothers. "Tell us, please, that this is all just a coincidence and not 'cause of a-"

"This is the bald bastard's doing, isn't it?" Brick interrupted him. "Bioking was one of the bastards who escaped from prison, wasn't he?"

"Yes," Butch replied, his jaw clenching. Oh, Brick wanted so badly to break his jaw for not telling him. "What did you gain if I told you?" Butch said then, as if reading his mind. "Anyway, we weren't gonna intervene like we haven't for the last seven years."

If it hadn't been for the youngest of the Rowdys, Brick would have already be paying for all the car repairs behind Butch.

"Do you want to calm the fuck down?" Boomer snapped, in the middle of his brothers to stop them from breaking their mugs. "We don't have time for th-"

The quake stopped suddenly, but the tsunami alert was still being heard.

Boomer was right; later he would settle accounts with Butch.

"Okay, listen," Brick said, regaining his composure. "I'll go to the observatory; you two help Bubs evacuate as many people as you can and," he added, before they flew off, "I don't want you to confront the sexist bald, was that clear?"

"Brick..." the middle brother began, as Brick had supposed.

"No. If you see him, stay away or whatever, but I don't want you to attack him. That's an order."

Reluctantly, his two brothers nodded and headed West, where the chaos was surely worse than at the far end of the city.

* * *

She had barely managed to evacuate a few people from the AVA Labs when the tsunami alert began to sound. She stared at the dark horizon, at the colossal wave that rose higher and higher, threatening to destroy everything in its path.

As far as she knew, tsunamis didn't come that fast after an earthquake -and as far as she knew, less during the quake. Unless someone created the wave. And only one of the three bastards who had escaped from the prison was capable of causing such a disaster.

She had given up on the search for the individuals, sticking to finding them when they attacked. Of course it wasn't the best plan, and Blossom kept reminding her of it. However, it was the most effective method of finding and capturing them, as everything she had reviewed only led her to a dead end.

She returned to the building, trying to hurry to get everyone out of there, thinking about how to stop a tsunami.

Supersonic scream? _It would slow it down, but wouldn't stop it,_ argued Bloss.

Tornado? _We don't need to add a natural disaster to another natural disaster,_ her sister said again.

Evaporate water with laser beams? _Only if you want to create a desert. And it wouldn't be fast enough._

"Fucking hell! Help me or shut up!" she yelled as she carried the last group of investigators out of the building. They cringed, but said nothing to what she had said.

Suddenly the quake stopped. Unfortunately for her, the tsunami was still there.

_Think, Bubbles. How can you stop a tsunami?_

Great, now her sisters weren't responding to her. What was the point of having their voices in her consciousness if they were only going to object to everything she thought?

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed two more trails: one blue and one green. Perhaps the boys had decided to help her with the evacuation of the city, which took burden off her.

 _Butch,_ BC said.

Butch? What did he have? Now did she wanna see his face?

_No, silly. The shield._

The shield?... The... _shield._ That was! If he managed to create a huge shield, big enough to protect the city and its surroundings, the tidal wave would not leave so much havoc once it struck. The question was whether he was capable of producing a shield so large and extraordinarily powerful as to withstand the impact of the wave.

They had to try.

She turned to look for him, to call him, when a beastly tornado began to form right in the middle of the forest. It wasn't just any tornado. It was a fire whirl.

 _This doesn't make sense,_ Blossom said.

"It's Bioking!" Bubs exclaimed. "Do you hope that some natural disaster he causes makes sense?"

 _Shit, shit, shit._ A tsunami, fallen buildings, people screaming... and now the forest was about to be devastated by flames, and that if it didn't spread throughout the rest of California.

 _And don't forget the coming thunderstorm,_ BC added, stressing her out even more.

Okay, okay. Just... _Lull._

In Bubs' mind, everything slowed down. Okay. The tsunami was still a long way off, maybe a couple more minutes before it crashed onto the shore and swept past the suburbs. The quake had subsided, there were very few buildings collapsed and it was unlikely that people were buried. The boys were on the scene anyway, which meant they'd pull people -if any- out of the rubble and into the suburbs. And the forest was starting to catch fire.

Good.

First the fire had to be put out.

She flew at full speed towards the ocean, towards the tsunami. Maybe shaking that huge wave was a bad idea, but it was the best she had for getting water quickly.

When she was at a good distance, she began to fly in circles rapidly, creating a tornado. Bubs believed her idea wouldn't work until she began to attract water.

 _Fly faster,_ Bloss suggested.

She accelerated, drawing in much more water while keeping it in the tornado. Her clothes, a denim skirt and a giant knitted yellow sweater, were starting to get wet, which was slowing her down. Fuck it. She got rid of the sweater, leaving only the thin white satin blouse that, due to the water, was beginning to stick to her body.

When she was sure she had water to spare, she began to move, going right to the forest.

 _Faster!,_ exclaimed BC.

"Why don't you do it, huh!?" shouted Bubs, exerting a great effort to move without losing the water that was in that tornado. She was almost ashore.

The noise of thunder buzzed in her ears, and she was meters away from being struck by lightning. Well, Bioking had surely seen her and wanted to eliminate her.

 _Well, what a terrible aim he has,_ said BC.

... Bioking had already seen her. That meant he had to be somewhere in the city observing the disaster caused by the earthquake, which at the same time gave him the perfect view of the sea to create a tidal wave of those proportions, with a view of the forest to create the fire devil and, in addition, to give him the necessary height to manipulate the clouds and wind, thus creating a thunderstorm. All this with the assurance that he would not die by his own powers.

There was only one place that could provide such shelter and panorama.

 _The skyscraper,_ said the voices of her sisters.

_Exactly._

She rushed to touch the shore and head into the forest, beginning to slow down so that the water was falling on the flames.

 _Watch out!,_ Bloss yelled, alerting her 'bout the fire whirl closing in on her.

How the hell did one of those things stop? The water was running out, and she had no way to... well, there was a way but she wanted to keep her lungs intact for the rest of the night.

 _There's no time!,_ said Bloss.

Ah well, who needs lungs anyway?

Bubbles stopped, the water running low. The tornado approached her, fire flashing and flailing furiously. She inhaled once, twice, before beginning to breathe in the smoke and fire, flooding her lungs and burning them. 

Chemical X, so magical, restored the necrotic lung tissue as quickly as possible, forcing her in turn to expel the smoke through the nostrils. She forced herself to continue to breathe despite the burning sensation and the signal her system sent of coughing.

Finally she managed to extinguish the fire, and the tornado. She stopped suppressing her cough, expelling both ash and smoke, and perhaps a few red drops from lung damage. Now she felt like an asthmatic; every breath hurt her, and she wasn't sure she was taking in the air completely.

Well, one less. Now, it was necessary to stop a tsunami that was already nowhere from reaching the coast.

Where the fuck was Butchy?

* * *

"Is that everyone?" Boomer asked.

"Everyone I could get," Butch gasped.

They were in front of Snyder's house, watching all the suburban traffic out of desperation to get away from the city. From there, Brick could watch the tsunami, getting closer and closer as it began to drizzle.

They had seen the forest fire, caused by the fire devil. Brick had been tempted to go and put out the fire, until he saw a huge tornado in a blazing baby blue, spreading water throughout the forest, followed by the appearance of Bubbles and the exceptional ability of her lungs to dispel the tornado.

However, he highly doubted that Bubs, even with such great skill, could stop a wave of that magnitude.

"What are we waiting for?" Princess inquired.

"It's the same if we wait here or in traffic," Mike said, watching the huge line of cars honking incessantly.

"Where is the Professor?" Booms asked, moving closer to Brick as he looked anguished at the neighboring house.

"In Citiesville," Snyder replied, appearing behind Brick. "He said he had work to do."

Hopefully, that fucking city would be safe.

Snyder looked toward the horizon, toward the huge wave that was nowhere to hit the shoreline and wash over the city.

He hated to say it, but if the number of cars in the suburb was the same as in the city, not all of them would be saved.

"There!" Robin pointed at the baby blue trail heading toward the beach.

Did Bubbles really think she could stop a tsunami?

As much as Brick wanted to stay and see that, they had to start walking away. "Okay," he said. "It's time to get the fuck out of here."

* * *

 _Bubbles, this is crazy,_ Blossom replied for the fifth time.

 _I hate to say it,_ BC said, _but the Ice Princess is right._

If the only thing that could stop a tsunami was the supersonic scream, then a supersonic scream would be, unless they had a better idea. Bubs preferred that part of the city be flooded than that it disappear completely.

 _What if, dunno, you stop the baldy?,_ proposed BC.

_By the time I do it, the tidal wave will have washed away the entire city._

Time was the least she had. And since the boys were missing, her only option was to stop the mess on her own.

 _What if you called him?,_ Bloss asked.

_I tried, remember? All the lines are saturated._

She approached the wave, flying a little higher than it. She wasn't that far, but not that close either, and seeing that immeasurable darkness caused her a deep terror.

Her lungs still burned, and she wasn't sure the scream would be as effective when her voice was scratchy. It was now that she wanted a little Chemical X to speed up the healing process. But like she said, there was no time.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to calm the fear and sweat on her hands, as well as the annoyance of having her clothes stuck and wet from the rain.

Okay, it was now or never.

She inhaled as much air as she could, ignoring the terrible pain in her chest and preparing to tear her vocal cords.

She opened her eyes and screamed. She screamed with everything she had, with all the power she possessed and that both her lungs and throat allowed her. Even though her breath was running out and her throat was burning, she forced herself to keep screaming, hoping the sound wave was powerful enough to cushion the impact of the wave and its subsequent devastation.

 _You're doing it!,_ Blossom celebrated.

 _Watch out!,_ BC yelled at the same time, getting Bubs to move from her position to avoid the beam that was going to knock her down.

She began to move straight into the wave, calming it. If she succeeded in reducing its size, the only area of the city that would be flooded would be the hotel zone. Better to sacrifice that to the whole city.

Bubbles felt the hair on the back of her neck and arms rise, warning her of another impending bolt. She stepped aside again, and it almost hit her; however, she stopped screaming, as the movement she had to make to evade the beam diverted her from the path.

She turned to see the top of the skyscraper, looking for the silhouette of a man. She saw him when the sky flashed, furiously discharging the water. She managed to make out his face, a huge sadistic smile distorting it. Suddenly, the subject... Bioking had jumped off the building!?

 _BUBBLES!,_ her sisters exclaimed too late.

The wave hit the blue Puff, plunging her into the depths of the ocean and washing the entire coastline.

* * *

The downpour was going from bad to worse, preventing them from being able to evacuate all the inhabitants in the house and take them to safety. Even with the skyscraper attracting all the rays, there were a few that reached other areas of the city. And unfortunately for Booms, he was a great lightning attractor.

Disadvantages that most of your DNA was snips. Much worse disadvantage to be the brother of the furball.

Butch raised a shield over his brother, protecting him from being struck by lightning. Truth be told, Brick was curious about what would happen if lightning struck Booms.

At some point they heard a scream; surely a supersonic one. Would Bubbles stop a tsunami with the force of sound waves? Well, if she did, they would have to update Wikipedia.

Despite the distance, Brick managed to make out the small blonde figure, approaching the wave and mitigating it with some success. The blonde evaded a lightning bolt, but the screaming didn't stop.

"Dammit!" Boomer cursed as lightning struck the shield that protected him. Brick turned his attention away from the horizon to his brother, standing in the middle of the Snyder lawn and inside a sphere, like a hamster.

He laughed at the sight of his brother, but returned his attention to the shoreline when the banshee's cry subsided. The blonde was gone, and the wave had already made landfall.

Screams of panic rose progressively. Butch, who was standing next to Brick at the Snyder's door, had also noticed what had happened.

Now, strong winds were added to the rain, which swept away the water and all the garbage that had been thrown.

"Brick!" Mike called from inside Robin's house. The redhead made to open the door as panic broke out in the drivers, who got out of their cars terrified and started to run.

On the other side of the line of cars stood a bald black man carrying the little memory that BC had left him: a hideous and disgusting scar that ran all over his face. He had gotten himself a militia uniform, and he didn't seem to mind the torrential rain that soaked him.

Another bolt struck, straight at Boomer. He didn't shrink, he just looked at Bioking, curious. He couldn't say the same for Butch, whose eye twitch was already beginning.

"The ladies," the moron began, in that husky voice that elicited authority, "think they can do our work. They think they are capable of doing _our_ job. But we both know that a lady, whatever her age, has only one thing to do. And not even for that, is she good."

Brick really wasn't in the mood to listen to the rest of the cheap fifteen cents speech that Bioking had memorized. Just one word, one, and both Butch and Boomer would pounce on the baldy. And Brick, pleased, would join his brothers in kicking the obnoxious guy's ass.

"Before we begin, gentlemen," added the said individual. "I would like you to reconsider my words; that you will listen and at least, if we are going to fight, that you do so with your minds very clear."

Oh great. Now he was going to try to convince them about his ideals and other bullshit that Brick had neither the time nor the desire to listen to. He opened his mouth to give the order, to let Butch unleash all his energy against Bioking, to allow Boomer to put aside the peace that reigned in him and unleash all his power against the baldy.

For his part, Brick would sit there, letting his brothers take their frustrations out on the man. They needed it more than he did.

Before he could get a word out, a baby blue projectile hit Bioking, sending him several blocks to the right.

Where once the obnoxious fellow was, there was now a blonde, her hair messed up and dripping, as was the rest of her clothes. Brick heard a small chorus of cheers, coming from the Snyder house.

"As I was saying," Bioking wheezed, struggling to his feet. "Ladies have only one damn thing to do. ONE. And not even for that they're good!"

Bubbles, who was obviously bothered by the rain -Brick would also mind if he was wearing a tank top, a wet denim skirt, and a pair of white faux fur boots that were surely more flooded than the city-, raised her hands, adopting a fighting stance.

"You're lucky," Bubs yelled hoarsely, "that I'm not a lady!"

* * *

Bioking grunted and ran straight at her, ready to deliver the first punch. Bubs might as well throw another shell at him, knock him out, but the guy was almost as tough as she was. Furthermore, Chemical X was still working to restore her respiratory and phonatorial systems. She couldn't risk running out of air for using her powers against him.

 _Block!_ , BC ordered. For heaven's sake, Bubbles knew how to fight, she wasn't stupid.

The man came to her, unloading all his strength into his fist. The blonde blocked the blow, grabbing Bioking's forearm and pulling it. She clenched the fist of her free hand and punched him hard in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. The bald released from her grip and took advantage of the fall to drag her with him to the ground.

Bubbles fell onto her right side, and before she could react, the man delivered a good blow to the face, followed by a kick that only managed to hit her in the stomach, but with great force that took the air out of her.

 _Get out of there!_ , BC yelled again.

Bubs rolled, out of reach of Bioking and the bolt that hit the grass. She managed to get up again, still feeling the burning of her lungs.

 _To the sky!,_ exclaimed Bloss. What? What in the sky?

She paid no attention to her sister's consequent explanation, for Bioking was on his feet again and lunged at her. Fuck.

She stood on her side, ready to kick the man and throw him away from her. However, he was much faster, deflecting her leg before the blow reached him.

 _Bubbles, block!,_ BC yelled. She raised her arm to block the blow to her face. She lowered her other arm to block the one aimed at her ribs.

 _To the face!_ She hit Bioking in the face. _Ribs!_ She gave him a series of blows to the ribs, causing the subject to bend slightly in pain. _Block!_ She raised her leg to take the kick. _Block!_ She covered her face and took advantage of the man's carelessness to hit him again.

 _Get down!_ She did that before the spinning kick hit her square in the face.

 _Chuck him!_ She lunged against him, knocking Bioking down, and staying on top of him.

 _Finish him!_ Bubbles began to hit him, with all the energy she possessed that wasn't invested in the healing process. Face, chest, arms and hands, everything received blows; whether from the front, from the side or from below, Bioking's body received punches from all sides.

Her knuckles burned, her fingers and wrists ached, and Chemical X sought to repair everything as quickly as possible.

 _Look for the neck!_ She had to find a weakness in his guard, something she could use to hit him in the throat and incapacitate him.

 _Bubbles!_ The sky began to flash. Bubs' attention was now divided between the man and the lightning threatening to strike her.

Bioking took advantage of her reaction upon hearing thunder. He lifted his hips, unsettling Bubs and tossing her to the side. _Move!_ She didn't have time to block the punches aimed at her face. They began to struggle, fighting to dominate the fight and finish off the other.

Bubs ripped off a piece of grass and threw it at the subject's face, blinding him. She went for him, looking to throw him out and knock him out once and for all. However, the man took advantage of her strength, turning and dodging, so that Bubs fell to the ground.

Bioking grabbed her by one of the pigtails, pulling it with all the strength he had. She tried to get up, but because of the water, everything was a terrible quagmire and it was almost impossible to keep her balance.

She grabbed Bioking's wrist, squeezing it just enough to cut off his circulation. Due to the same downpour that soaked the man's garment, the grip was slippery and ineffective.

"YOU HOPE THIS ONE," he pulled Bubs closer, kicking her on the hamstring to keep her from getting to her feet, "DO THE JOB!?"

He stretched out his arm, causing the thunderstorm to worsen and drawing more lightning toward him. The blonde managed to get a foot on the ground, but the man noticed and knocked her down again, twisting her ankle. Bubs couldn't hold back and cried out in pain.

"COME CLOSER!" Bioking bellowed, possibly to the boys. "COME CLOSER AND THIS WILL HURT HER!"

Bubbles kept her weak grip on his wrist with one hand, while the other slowly lowered to her leg.

Disadvantages of wearing a denim miniskirt: there was not much freedom of movement, it was extremely heavy when wet, and it didn't protect at all the legs when the person attacking the city attacked Bubbles.

Advantages of wearing a denim miniskirt: there was easy access to the small dagger that was well hidden by the skirt.

She took the handle of the dagger and drew it, driving it into Bioking's thigh. He made a sound between grunting and screaming. He released Bubs and went to grab his leg, where his clothes were now staining red.

 _To the sky, Bubbles!,_ Blossom repeated. _Take him to the sky!_

Bubbles wasted no time. She grabbed the man by the lapels of the jacket he was wearing and dragged him up, straight into the storm.

 _Watch out!,_ BC exclaimed. The blonde thought she was referring to some lightning bolt coming for her, until she felt a strong blow to her calf that temporarily paralyzed her leg. She looked down at the man who had managed to yank the dagger off and drive it into her.

 _Bubs!,_ Bloss alerted her. Lightning was going straight at her.

She launched Bioking in the direction of the city, evading the beam.

 _Ray!,_ another voice alerted her, one similar to her own. She ignored that when, indeed, a series of rays began to go after her.

She evaded each of them, flying in the direction of where she had thrown Bioking. If she managed to knock him unconscious, all this chaos would stop.

It occurred to her to look toward the horizon, towards where the beach had once been. Another tsunami was approaching. Fucking hell, was the subject capable of doing that? Was it even possible that there were two tsunamis?

 _It's Bioking,_ Bloss snapped. _Do you hope that some natural disaster that he causes makes sense?_

She had to knock out the individual, and she had to do it now.

 _BUBBLES!,_ the voices in her mind screamed. She managed to dodge the first column of soil that approached her, but not the other three that hit her on the entire left side, knocking her down.

She crashed into one of the buildings near the skyscraper, unconscious from the impact.

* * *

"Brick!" called Boomer. "What do we do?"

That was a question for which he had no answer. He'd assumed Bubbles was off for a bit, that they might have to give everyone time to get away by taking care of the baldy. But the blonde had appeared and taken Bioking straight to the sky.

If they went after them, they would probably get in the way of Bubbles, or they would result as injured as the blonde... or they would give reason to Bioking.

The storm began to concentrate in the city, specifically in the north, leaving the suburbs alone. It was nice to stop feeling the huge raindrops hitting him on his head and body, as well as being able to see clearly without the need to use powers.

What wasn't nice was seeing the baby blue trail disappearing.

"Brick!" called Booms again. Both he and Butch were waiting for an order, that Brick knew what to do.

Butch's twitching was getting worse and more noticeable, and the electricity in Boom was already surging. He had to think fast before Butch's tolerance ran out, before Boomer's impatience controlled him.

Was it a good idea to go and help her?

New lightning and thunder appeared, trying to hit something in the north of the city. Surely the blonde.

"Brick," Michael murmured behind him, at the entrance to the Snyder house. "Brick, you have to help her."

He gritted his teeth, thinking. She certainly didn't seem in the best condition to fight, and Brick and his brothers, who were much cooler to kick the baldy's ass, couldn't get into that fight that easy.

Not because they couldn't beat him, but because...

_Brick, I never had a choice. I could never choose between the city and my family._

He had a choice. And the city could go to hell.

* * *

 _Bubbles!,_ Blossom yelled in her head, waking her up.

Bubs struggled to her feet. Although the pain in her chest was fading, a new one was emerging in her arms, head, face and neck, coupled with the terrible gash in her calf, which was already healing.

 _Get off!_ , BC screamed. Bubbles dove to the other side, dodging a series of bolts that sought to end her.

Fuck. She was tired, cold, and Chemical X couldn't do a hundred things at the same time. Either she used what little energy she had against Bioking or she let Chemical X repair all the damage to her body.

 _You can't beat him hand to hand,_ BC said.

 _BC is right. You have to find another way,_ Bloss said.

"Thanks for the support," Bubbles murmured, getting up again.

 _If you try to get close,_ Bloss said, _he'll hit you with lightning._ Damn, that was true.

Let's see... she had read Bioking's history, all the experiments and studies that were done on him, his life history...

What did she know?

 _That he's a sexist baldy from the last century,_ spat BC.

 _He was in the military, as a colonel. One of the best,_ Bloss contributed.

And on one mission, which was not authorized but Colonel Doyle decided the order was stupid and carried it out, something went terribly wrong, resulting in the death of his men and the disappearance of the guy for the next five months. What had happened in those five months? Only Tanner Doyle knew.

He was as indestructible as Bubbles, at that moment much stronger and more resistant than her. Hand to hand she might stop him, but Blossom was right; the only way to get close to him was to catch him off guard. And she no longer counted on a surprise attack.

What else?

 _He had no family, the few friends he had had died. And in those five months, he acquired powers,_ BC commented... He was a loner who controlled Mother Nature as he pleased. No limits or restrictions.

 _Could he resist his own "blessing"?_ , Blossom said.

Bioking had taken shelter in the skyscraper. The "safest" place in Townsville in the event of a natural disaster, especially if it included an electrical storm.

Bloss was right. He might be tough, almost indestructible, but he wasn't immune. He could die by drowning, victim of landslides from an earthquake, in a fire...

 _Or electrocuted_ , BC said.

Throughout the night, the only thing the subject did was direct bolts at Bubs, as he was doing at the time, with the sole purpose of ending her.

She had to find a way to get one of those rays to hit him.

 _You could tie a kite on him,_ BC suggested.

It was a good idea, the problem was to make one, and again, to get close enough to Bioking to be able to tie it.

 _You could fly close to him, wait for one of those bolts to hit him,_ Bloss proposed.

It was leave it to chance, and there was no time; another tsunami was approaching, which while coming from further afield, was much larger than the first and Bubs doubted she could appease it.

A kite... fly near him.. the top of the skyscraper...

The beginning of an idea came to mind; it was an excellent idea, but it was going to hurt.

"HAVE YOU ALREADY FINALLY REALIZED WHAT YOUR PLACE IS!?" roared Bioking. Bubbles stuck to the wall, near the huge hole she had created when she fell. She continued polishing her idea, a simple idea, steeling herself because it would hurt, also looking for another alternative.

Well, if her sisters had kept quiet it meant that either her idea was very good, or they didn't have a better one. And from the way she saw it, the second option was the most likely.

She peered slightly out of the hole; the downpour continued and the lightning fell everywhere, destroying the city, setting it on fire, causing blackouts.

She took a deep breath before heading to a small shop in front of the building she was in. Lightning went straight at her, failing to hit her. She entered the premise, hiding behind the counter.

"UTONIUM!" shouted Bioking.

 _You can do it, Bubs_ , she perked up. She felt an emptiness in the pit of her stomach and her hands were sweating; although she didn't know if it was sweat or rainwater. She was agitated and extremely nervous... who wouldn't be? She was about to carry out a suicide plan, it wasn't like she was gonna feel calm or something.

She straightened up and walked to the door, out into the street.

"Ah!" exclaimed Bioking, on the corner. "I thought you had returned home, to hide behind your father's lab coat."

 _If you don't finish him, I will,_ said BC furiously.

Lightning struck a few feet from Bubs, causing her to jump. Okay, she was already regretting it but there was no other option. She just had to get as close to him as possible, let the rain wash over them both and...

She walked slowly to him, stretching her arms so that the rain soaked her completely, even more than she already was.

"Stop," Bioking ordered. Bubs stopped a few feet from him, and the man smiled, pleased that she had listened to him. "So at last you understood and checked the reality of your... sex," Bioking said, slowly approaching her.

_A little more._

"You ladies are only good for certain things. And fighting is not one of them. Save the world much less," he continued, getting closer and closer.

_Almost._

"Women," Doyle spat, as if that had left a bad taste in his mouth. "Believing that they can do what only a man can, forgetting their true role."

_... Now._

"Like I said," Bubbles said, causing Bioking to glare at her for opening her mouth, "how lucky I'm not a lady."

Just as she thought, Bioking grunted and began to focus the electrical energy in the sky. He screamed and directed his hand towards her, so that the lightning hit her.

_This is gonna hurt._

Bubbles resorted to her own electricity and raised one arm to the sky and the other to Bioking. The lightning struck her right in the palm of her hand, burning it and completely paralyzing her. Through her other hand, the one directed at the baldy, electricity began to emanate, hitting Bioking, who had no time to react to what was happening.

Bubs' body began to tremble, every muscle contracting, her bones were cracking, her breathing was failing, and she couldn't move, much less think of anything else other than acting as a kind of lightning rod, thus avoiding killing the bald.

Chemical X was intended to give her protection against the electric shock, which was intensified by Bubbles' own power. However, it didn't seem to be enough.

 _Cut it!,_ Blossom yelled.

No matter how hard Bubbles tried, her body wasn't responding to her.

Before the electricity killed her and her field of vision turned black, she caught a glimpse of a small green light.

The blonde fell to the ground with a thud, unable to make out the shield Butch Jojo had created around her to stop the electric current.

* * *

_"BUBBLES!" cried Blossom, scared._

_It should have been her, not Bubbles. Bloss had to have been the one to take all the shock, the one in her sister's arms, not vice versa._

_"Bubs!" BC exclaimed, crawling over to her sisters._

_The youngest of them, safe in Blossom's arms, could barely breathe._

_The sound wave, much louder than Bubsy could produce, was about to hit Blossom, who was protecting BC with her own body. She didn't count on Bubsy, who was supposed to be knocked out, coming up to them and taking the hit instead._

_"Bubsy..." Bloss whispered, fearing that those few attempts to catch her breath were the last of her baby sister._

_"That's why girls," Bioking began, "shouldn't do a man's job. It would just end them."_

_"Buttercup," Bloss said, watching Bubsy and pushing her hair out of her face. "Buttercup," she repeated, her voice turning cold, strained._

_"Order, Leader Girl," her sister replied, standing up, not taking her eyes off Bubsy._

_Blossom pressed Bubsy against her, kissing the top of her head. She looked at BC, who was waiting for the order._

_"Finish him."_

* * *

Almost immediately, the rain stopped. The street was dark from electric shocks, and the second approaching tsunami had vanished.

At the same time, both the blonde and the baldy fell to the ground, their bodies finally released from the electricity.

The three brothers landed near the girl.

"Bubbles!" Boomer yelled, not running after her when Brick grabbed him by the arm.

Butch lowered the shield, exposing the small blonde, motionless on the floor. The redhead put a hand on the green Rowdy's shoulder, preventing him from running towards the girl.

Brick walked over to her, before both brothers started to complain. She gave off steam, product of the same electrical discharge. The moment he touched her, had it not been for the same fire that flowed in Brick, he would have withdrawn his hand, as Bubbles was extremely hot.

Booms walked over to them, kneeling on the other side of Bubs. Butch moved closer too, but he stood right behind Brick. He didn't need to see his brother to feel the twitching growing.

"Bubsy?" the blue Rowdy asked, holding the urge to touch the blonde.

Brick placed his index and middle fingers on Bubbles' neck, searching for a pulse. As he searched for it, he observed her arms, burned and streaked with lightning, and they didn't appear to be healing.

"Shit," he muttered, not feeling her pulse, much less the girl's breathing.

He put one hand over the other and rested them on Bubbles' chest, beginning to compress over and over.

Finally the Health classes served.

_Up. Down. Up. Down. C'mon, Bubs._

He tipped her head back, pinning her nose and resting his fingers on her chin, opening her mouth. In the end Bubbles would kiss a Jojo brother, but Brick didn't expect him to be the chosen one. He hoped Butch didn't take it personally.

He covered her mouth with his and breathed, once, twice. He returned to compressions.

"One. Two. Three..." he muttered, with Boomer watching Bubs and Butch closely behind him, his energy growing.

Dammit, had all the bloody emergency services been gone?

They had helped most of the west of the city, and even then he doubted they could all get out in time. However, there had to be ambulances, helicopters... something.

A groan interrupted his criticism of 9-1-1.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed that Bioking was moving, coughing slightly. How the fuck was he alive?

He put his mouth back on Bubbles', puffing out her chest and returning to compressions. But she didn't react; her heart didn't beat again.

_"Bubbles..." Blossom begged, her sister in her arms._

He looked at Boomer, who was fighting not to cry, not to break.

Brick had lost his counterpart, Blossom. Butch had lost Buttercup. Both brothers knew well what it was, how it was like, and a tiny part of Brick was grateful that Booms hadn't gone through that hell; he was glad Bubs had survived.

He wasn't sure he could... he could comfort Booms if the blue Puff didn't wake up. He didn't think he could control Butch's anger if she didn't breathe again.

_"Please," Bloss implored. "Wake up, Bubsy. Please. Wake up."_

Butch... stupid enough to deny he liked Bubs. Brick was no idiot; he knew how he looked at her, how much calmer he was when he was with her, at peace.

His brother loved her, loved her more than as a friend. And he knew him well enough to know that guilt would eat away Butch because...

_"Bubsy..." the 'Commander and Leader' sobbed, breaking._

They didn't arrive in time.

_"BLOSSOM!" Bubbles Utonium yelled, pulling her older sister onto her lap, not caring that her supersonic scream ripped through the eardrums of the citizens._

Why the hell hadn't he given the damn order earlier?

_What difference did it make to break someone else's ears when your own heart was breaking?_

Another whimper and Bioking went into four, catching his breath.

_"Buttercup," Bloss said, her voice dead but at the same time brittle._

"Butch," he hissed, still compressing Bubs' chest.

_"Order, Leader Girl," BC replied, without grumbling._

Boomer took Bubbles' hand in his and brought it to his lips. Brick managed to hear Boom's soft pleas.

The redhead kept compressing, giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, trying to get Bubbles' heart to beat again.

_Blossom looked at BC... a look that said it all, that expressed both sisters' pain for the youngest of them. That gave the green Puff permission to lose control._

Brick, in all those years, had never understood why Blossom Utonium, always so controlled and demure, had let her sister, Buttercup, fight so ruthlessly.

Until that moment, when Boomer just couldn't stop babbling, no longer able to hold back his tears; when Butch's murderous energy was such that the redhead had that same desire for blood.

_"Finish him." BC took one last look at Bubsy before hurtling towards Bioking, hitting him with all the power she possessed, with all the fury she felt, unable to be stopped by Butch and Boomer._

"Finish him."

He was unfazed when Butch went straight for Bioking, tackling him and crashing into the building across the street. He kept giving compressions to the blonde, still without success.

 _Brick..._ said a female voice. His conscience? _Brick, please, don't let her go._

_Up. Down. Up. Down. Breathe. Breathe. Up. Down. Up..._

"C'mon, Bubs," he muttered, refusing to give up on the blonde.

* * *

The motherfucker bald tried to hit him but Butch, being much stronger than him, blocked the blow, causing the man's fist to break.

Bioking screamed, which was silenced when Butch punched him in the jaw, also breaking bone and joint.

He tried to kick him straight to the legs, knock him down, not counting that the green Rowdy had "strength of steel", as Bubsy always said. He uttered another pathetic scream, sounding more like a squeak, as he crawled back away from Butch.

He just took two steps toward the man and kicked him straight in the face. He then grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and threw him toward the opposite wall, blasting a hole into the adjoining building.

As he headed for the hole, he looked down the street, toward his brothers. Brick was still pressing on Bubs' chest; suddenly he moved away a bit for Boomer to place his hand on her, releasing an electric shock. The redhead took Bubs' pulse, but apparently there was nothing as he returned to compressions.

He made a grunting sound and looked up at Bioking. The bald man managed to get up, waiting for Butch. He lunged at the boy.

Butch stepped aside, just like Bioking had done with Bubsy a while ago, and grabbed him by the back of his jacket. He threw him back. The man crashed into the wall and, by his semblance, appeared to be in shock.

The baldy staggered up to his feet, trying to hit him in the face but instead, hitting him in the chest. The blow was so pitiful that even Mitch hit much harder.

He took his hand and rolled around behind Bioking, subduing him and dislocating his shoulder. The man wanted to scream, but his broken jaw prevented him from making any sound other than his pathetic attempts of squeaks.

Since the guy had no hair, Butch grabbed the back of his neck and slammed his face against the wall. One time. And another. And another. And another. And another. Without feeling sorry for the subject.

Bioking tried to resist, but his strength was nothing compared to that of the "Baron of Berserk", who at that moment needed to de-stress and what better than with the great Colonel Tanner Doyle... the damn son of a bitch who thought it was a good idea to get out of prison and being a big pain in the ass.

 _Asswipe!,_ someone said in his head. He ignored that voice, believing that is was the consciousness that he didn't have seeking to stop him.

 _Butch!,_ someone else yelled. Maybe he was going crazy. _Please stop!_

 _Listen, you fucking bastard!,_ the first voice exclaimed. _I want to kill that son of a bitch too! Believe me! But it's not what she would have wanted!_

What?

He stopped, still holding Bioking, his face bloody and shattered.

 _Just think about it, Butch,_ said the second voice. _If she had wanted to kill him, she would not have acted as a lightning rod, would she?_

Maybe it was the only way to-

 _No!,_ the first voice scolded him. _Idiot, she didn't want him dead!_

 _You're not a murderer,_ said Bubsy's voice. Bubsy!? _Butchy..._

 _Moron!_ , the first voice said again. _Go with her!_

 _Butch,_ the second voice pleaded. _Please, save her. She needs you. Together._

* * *

"Brick..." said Boomer.

"No," he replied, nonstop compressing Bubbles' chest.

The fucking 9-1-1 was satured, which meant that no one would come to help, which meant that they were the only help Bubs had. And she wasn't helping Brick.

"C'mon, Bubs," Brick murmured, again giving the girl air. "Wake the fuck up, dammit," he growled.

He heard something slam on the floor. Bioking. With his face smashed and his arm in a very strange and painful position. If he didn't complain, he was either unconscious or dead.

Right now he couldn't worry about that; he had to deal with reviving Bubbles.

Butch walked over to Booms, grabbing his wrists and covering each with a shield. Did he wanted to play? Now?

 _Boomer's energy dissipates into the air,_ he thought, in a very feminine tone for his taste. _If we can get all the load concentrated..._

He looked at both brothers, understanding what Butch wanted to do. Why didn't it occur to him before?

Brick pulled away, letting Booms rest his hands on Bubbles and unleashing the electrical charge, making the blonde's body shake from the shock.

The redhead took her pulse again. Nothing yet. "Other!" he exclaimed. Boomer concentrated more energy and returned to the girl to download it. He took her pulse again. Nothing. "Again!" Booms put his hand on the blonde's chest again, releasing even more energy.

And Bubbles Utonium breathed, starting to cough.

* * *

She didn't remember breathing hurt like that.

It had burned to such an extent that tears threatened to leak from her eyes. Fortunately, Chemical X had acted immediately, easing the pain in her nasal turbinates and her arms, which had apparently burned when she received the beam.

She rolled onto her side, her cough lessening, looking for Bioking.

The individual must have been somewhat charred, not with his face bruised to the point where he was unrecognizable, nor with a twisted arm in a very painful position. Was the man still alive?

What had happened?

She tried to get up, but a pair of arms stopped her.

"Easy," said the older Rowdy, returning her to the floor slowly.

Her hands and arms were recovering the skin, and she felt a terrible tingling in her legs, in addition to her head beginning to spin. She narrowed her eyes, for the light from the sky was somewhat annoying.

"W-What-" she stuttered. Her brain kept rebooting the system apparently. After being electrocuted, was it normal to be thirsty? "W-What h-h-hap-pened?" she said slowly.

The three brothers looked at each other, as if they were looking for a way to explain what happened in the last... minutes? Seconds? She wasn't sure.

"You died for a while," Boomer finally said. Was it her or were his eyes watery and red?

_Wait... I died?_

She died?

"S-S-Say wh-what?"

"But now you're here," Brick said, as if dying were a day-to-day thing.

Okay. She died. What else did she miss?

She started to sit up, with Brick and Butch helping her. A couple of ribs cracked when she managed to sit up. She remembered that her body had not only become paralyzed, it had also contracted in such way that both muscles and bones were breaking. Anyway, nothing Chemical X couldn't fix.

"W-What-What h-h-happen-ed w-whi-while I-I-I di-died?" she asked, the chill left by the rain beginning to sink in.

A black jacket went to cover her shoulders, with one hand remaining on her back. Brick took her hands, emitting a red aura and warming her.

 _How lucky some are,_ murmured BC.

"Nothing interesting," Boom said quickly. If Bubbles were in her senses, she would have interrogated the boys and Bioking, but being struck by lightning of that magnitude and surviving wasn't something that happened every day and that one could recover from in less than five minutes.

She just nodded. At least she was alive, with Chemical X repairing her entire body, and Bioking... well, someone had stopped him.

"C-Can we g-go-go?" she said, the cold growing more unbearable.

"I was hoping you'd say it," Butch said, strangely relaxed.

His brothers walked away, Boomer and Brick going for Bioking, while Butch put his arm under her legs and scooped her up. For being as drenched as she was, he still emanated heat. Not as much as Brick, who was a walking heater, but Butch still was warmer than her.

Bubs clung to his neck. He smelled of cologne, rain, salt and... _salt._

"The tsunami," she said, remembering another was approaching.

"You stopped it," Butch whispered in her eat, his classic smirk calming Bubs.

Oh well, great. The day had been saved and she could now rest in peace in the arms of the green Rowdy.

 _Seriously,_ BC said, _I'm going to throw up in your brain._

* * *

 _**From: Prince <3  
** _ _**To: Robin, Bricky, Boomie, Butch, Mitch, Mikey  
** _ _I'm gonna kill the damn Johnson journalist_

 **_From: Boomie  
_ ** _I_ _'m in_ **_  
_**

**_From: Butch  
_ ** _X2_ **_  
_**

**_From: Mitch  
_ ** _X3_

 **_From: Mikey  
_ ** _X4_

 **_From: Bricky  
_ ** _X5_

 **_From: Robin  
_ ** _Have any of you been able to talk to Bubsy? She doesn't answer :'(_

* * *

[MISSED CALL: 10:09 PM]: **_Robin :)_**  
[MISSED CALL: 10:11 PM]: _**Robin :)**_  
[MISSED CALL: 10:15 PM]: **_Princess_**  
[MISSED CALL: 10:34 PM]: _**Boom-Boom**_  
[MISSED CALL: 10:42 PM]: **_Boom-Boom_**  
[MISSED CALL: 10:45 PM]: _**Butchy Boo**_  
[MISSED CALL: 10:47 PM]: _**Butchy Boo**_  
[MISSED CALL: 10:49 PM]: **_Butchy Boo_**  
[MISSED CALL: 10:52 PM]: _**Butchy Boo**_  
[MISSED CALL: 10:58 PM]: **_Butchy Boo_**  
[MISSED CALL: 11:31 PM]: _**Mike**_  
[MISSED CALL: 11:36 PM]: **_Mike_**  
[MISSED CALL: 8:21 AM]: **_Butchy Boo_**  
[MISSED CALL: 8:43 AM]: _**Mitch**_  
[MISSED CALL: 1:56 PM]: **_Robin :)_**  
[MISSED CALL: 3:23 PM]: _**Butchy Boo**_  
[MISSED CALL: 5:11 PM]: **_Brick_**  
[MISSED CALL: 9:23 AM]: **_Robin :)_**  
[MISSED CALL: 10:34 AM]: _ **Butchy Boo**_

* * *

**TOWNSVILLE CHRONICLES**

**Bubbles Utonium, the best to get the job done?**

By Donald Johnson

October 1st, 2010 - Tonight we were victims of one of the greatest natural catastrophes ever recorded. [...]. Former Colonel Tanner Doyle brought to Townsville, once again, chaos and desolation, [...] plaguing the entire city and forcing a quarter of it to move, to find another place to live.

[...]

Is it all the fault of this villain? Or does part of the blame lie with the only remaining superhero in the city? [...].

Bubbles Utonium, seventeen, a beautiful young blonde with blue eyes and the "fortune" of having super powers, has been in charge of protecting the city for the last seven years. [...]. She has done it good, and other times she has done it badly. But there are certain occasions, like this one, when she does it fatal.

[...]. Landslides, floods, fires... the list of damages is endless, all calculated in thousands of dollars; [...]. Damages that could have been avoided if the last of the Powerpuff Girls had been doing her job.

But we can't ask that of a teenage girl, whose hormones speak louder than her own supersonic screams. [...]. Is it correct to leave the destiny and safety of Townsville to a teenager who only watches over herself?

Let's be honest; at the young age of seventeen, teenagers only want one thing. We cannot reproach that to the once tender Bubbles, whose hormonal changes cannot be controlled even with the help of Chemical X. [...]. Maybe one day she doesn't feel like fighting a monster. Perhaps one day she will be busy indulging her needs. [...].

In addition to the obvious hormonal changes of adolescence, we cannot continue to pretend that this girl, the "Joy and the Laughter", will be able to continue fighting all evils on her own. [...] If three barely managed to defeat a monster, what makes us think that one, who has also always been considered the weakest of the Powerpuff Girls, can protect us?

[...].

[...]. The weight of a promise can be such that not all the strength that Chemical X provides to this little blonde would be enough to continue fulfilling. [...]; how much longer can this sweet summer child hold out? Will she be able to protect us?

Or will she perish just like her sisters, with the one great difference that she will break her promise?

* * *

**TOWNSVILLE CHRONICLES**

**Bellum's policy, is it no longer preposterous?**

By Jamie Rowling

October 2nd, 2010 - After the recent events that occurred the night of the previous day, which led to the immediate evacuation of the citizens of Townsville, a new doubt has arisen, a new fear: Are we safe?

[...]. Last Thursday, the head of the police department, Rodolfo Pérez, announced a prison break from the South Prison, [...] but no details were given until this morning, when Mayoress Sara Bellum decided to hold a press conference. [...]. Whether it was to avoid mass panic or because the government was convinced that Bubbles Utonium, the superhero of Townsville, could capture them before the attacks, is unknown.

[...]. After the attacks by former Colonel Tanner Doyle, alias "Bioking", Mayoress Bellum [...] made known the names of the other two inmates who also escaped: Sasha Greenard, alias "The Duchess", [...] and Dr. Pierre Mostert, alias "Doctor Death", [...].

[...]

In 1999, the then Mayor Thomas May, inaugurated the South Prison, assuring that it was impossible to escape from it. [...]. Over time, and after several escapes from the prison by supervillains such as Mojo Jojo, Princess Morbucks, Sedusa, [...] among others, as well as the attempts by Blossom Utonium to reinforce the prison, the South Prison was considered one of the safest prisons in the nation.

[...]. With the recent escape of three extremely dangerous individuals, who not only devastated the city but also almost wiped out the Powerpuff Girls, [...] it is clear that the prison is not escape-proof, much less is it capable of housing supervillains of that magnitude.

This leaves the doubt: Bellum's policy, the demands she has made on the California governor, weren't wrong?

[...]. The government never took the words of Blossom Utonium seriously, [...] who used to declare that it was necessary to move the inmates to another part of the state, to a place where all citizens could be safe from them. [...]. It was not until Sara Bellum became mayor [...] that they sought to transfer the prisoners to another place, safer and much more capable. [...]. She even suggested the reopening of the Alcatraz Federal Prison [...] to contain these evils.

Is her idea as far-fetched as it sounds?

Just look at the chaos of last night, when Tanner Doyle brought chaos and devastation to Townsville. [...].

Would this have been prevented if the prisoners had been in a much more controlled but at the same time, ruthless prison?

* * *

**HEARTS AND MOONS**

**Remembering the old days**

By Lou Grant - Opinion

Do you remember the old city of Townsville? That one full of crime, restlessness and insecurity. When even in broad daylight it suffered and there was no hope.

On July 22nd, 1998, Professor Jack Utonium, acclaimed scientist and current head of research at Citiesville State University, returned it to us. The Professor mixed sugar, spice and everything nice, with one purpose: to create the perfect little girl.

In an unexpected accident, he spilled Chemical X on the mix, giving birth to three perfect little girls: Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles Utonium. Three angels who, after a terrible misunderstanding, dedicated their lives to fighting crime and the forces of evil with their ultra super powers.

Over time, the people of Townsville baptized them as the Powerpuff Girls, the adored girls of the city.

They cleaned up and protected the city, fighting simple assailants and vandals, such as the Gangreen Gang. They faced fearsome monsters that came from the Monster Isle. They faced masterminds like Mojo Jojo; beings from another dimension like HIM; snotty, rich girls like Princess Morbucks; insane fans like Lenny Baxter; their counterparts, the Rowdyruff Boys... I could go on, because the list is vast, and what they did to save the city will always be appreciated.

They swore to protect the city and its inhabitants, with their last breath if necessary.

We never imagined that, on the afternoon of October 10th, 2003, these guardian angels would perish as they kept their word.

On that tragic day, our "Toughest Fighter", Buttercup Utonium, would fight like never before to protect our city; our "Commander and Leader", Blossom Utonium, would provide the last breath of ice to stop the monster that was destroying our city. And our "Joy and the Laughter", Bubbles Utonium, would deliver the final blow, saving the day.

However, only one of them would rise from the rubble.

They left a huge void in our hearts, not only on us, the citizens of Townsville, but also on their father, on their friends; but above all, on the only survivor of this trio of superheroines: the little Bubbles.

Today, we still see the baby blue wake of Bubbles Utonium, who continues to fulfill the oath. We can still see this young lady taking on raiders, monsters and supervillains, protecting Townsville, because that is what they swore as a unit.

[...]

But we will never see pink and green painting the sky again.

* * *

**TOWNSVILLE TIMES**

**The "Powerpuff Day", in memory of our heroines or pure political straw?**

By Susan Lewis

October 2nd, 2010 - Days to commemorate the tragedy that struck Townsville, a new debate has arisen: is the ceremony really being held to remember our superheroines? Or was it a political method implemented by former Mayor Thomas May to secure his position for a few more years?

[...]. To date, this commemoration has been maintained, a night march that begins from any corner of the city and ends at the Angels Memorial, three blocks from the Crystal Tower, the city's flagship skyscraper. [...]. In this space dedicated to the fallen heroines, there is a bronze sculpture bathed in gold, representing the "Commander and Leader" and the "Toughest Fighter", [...], always accompanied by candles, roses and photos.

However, although it is a very special day for the city, to such an extent that activities are stopped to pay tribute to them, no one has ever stopped to ask if the Utonium family agrees. [...]. In all these years, they have stood at the head of a large group of people, walking in front of them [...] without having the opportunity to remember their two members [...]; without having the opportunity to mourn them properly.

We lost two guardian angels, but Professor Jack Utonium lost two daughters, [...] Bubbles Utonium lost two sisters. [...].

[...]. October 10th should be an intimate day for the Utoniums, for their close friends, not a regional event that was well regarded at the time because of the pain that existed at that time.

[...]. Now, for the seventh time, the Utonium family must walk to the sculptures of the two girls they lost, remembering in silence, suffering in silence. Because everyone is watching them, and they are forced to stay strong. [...].

Is it really the "Powerpuff Day"? Why then don't we let the Professor and Bubbles Utonium remember them the way they want, like Blossom and Buttercup would have wanted?

* * *

"Five with twenty-seven," Bubbles murmured, burning the newspapers and crying silently, seeking to feel the heat of the fire in her broken heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's it for this year.  
> It was difficult in many ways, it left us a lot to think about, maybe it took part of us away ... dunno. I only know that we must continue, because it's our life and no one else's.  
> To all those who read this, I wish you a happy New Year 💖, that your dreams and hopes are fulfilled 🌟, that you find what you do not know you are looking for ... I wish you the best 🎆🎉🎊
> 
> PS. What Brick says is not true; Michael Believe does look like a "clown"


	8. Project X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter has "graphic" representations of child abuse.  
> Read with discretion.

**_From: Robby <3_ **   
**_To: Princess_ **   
_Prince, please tell me u didn't do what I think u did_

**_From: Princess_ **   
_I dunno what u talking about, my dear_

**_From: Robby <3_ **   
_Did u fire this Johnson?_

**_From: Princess_ **   
_A necessary evil, don't u think?_

**_From: Robby <3_ **   
_Priiiiiince_

* * *

**_From: Bricky_ **   
**_To: Princess_ **   
_How the fuck did u do it?_

**_From: Princess_ **   
_Money can do everything_

**_From: Bricky_ **   
_Ask ur monee if can get ya some gud earplugs_

* * *

**_From: Mitch_ **   
**_To: Princess_ **   
_That's what I call havin ovaries_

* * *

**_From: Boomer_ **   
**_To: Princess_ **   
_I thought we were gonna kill im'_

**_From: Princess_ **   
_Firing him doesn't ruin our plan_

* * *

**_From: Bubsy Boo_ **   
**_To: Princess_ **   
_PRINCESS_

* * *

**_From: Boomer_ **   
**_To: Princess, Robby <3, Bricky, Mitch, Mikey, Butch_ **   
_It was a pleasure meeting u, Princess_

* * *

_**The Powerpunk Girls:** Salt, Vinegar and Everything Nasty_

_What could create the counterparts of the Powerpunk Girls? What is stronger than a trio of girls, like the Powerpunk Girls, who also have superpowers? Boys? What are boys made of? What makes a bo-?_

He took the notes and folded them so they could fit in the inside pocket of his jacket. He closed the drawer and opened the next, rummaging through the notes quickly but carefully. If there was anyone who noticed every little detail, it was Bass.

He had to hurry. Berserk and Brute couldn't entertain his brothers any longer. Without Barron leading them, both brothers would quickly give up.

Finding nothing in that drawer, he went to the bookcase, with the few binders that Jomo had left in the observatory when he decided to set up a new lab in Treesville.

The monkey would never think that Bass would go through his things without Jomo's express permission, much less that Barr would go up to the lab. Like his brothers, Jomo didn't think the older Rowdy was smart either.

Sure, since he wasn't about to graduate from college like Brume, or get a master's degree like Bass, it was clear that he was an ass.

All the binders were labeled, and none of the names seemed to relate to the Puffs or the Punks, much less to the concept of other dimensions. Maybe there was nothing in there that dealt with that, besides Jomo's old notes in the desk drawer.

He stopped at one of the binders, down to the bottom of the bookcase. _A thousand and one ways to make cakes._

It was true that Jomo had cookbooks, but none were to be in the lab, much less about cakes. The monkey hated cakes, just as Bass hated too much sugar and Brume... sometimes it was nice not to be the only exception to the rule.

He pulled out the binder and started to open it when his phone rang.

**_From: ****_ **   
_To the obs_

A tiny part of Barr, what little was left of the naive five-year-old boy, was pained that his brothers didn't come looking for him to the place where he, supposedly, fell unconscious. The mature part of Barr dismissed the thought and hurried out of the lab, carefully applying each of the safety locks so that Bass wouldn't notice anything.

He went to his room, closing the door and then to the window he had purposely left open. He waited for the blue and mint trails to land in front of the observatory door.

Once his brothers arrived and he was sure they were about to enter the observatory, Barr pressed the binder against him and jumped out of the window, feeling gravity pulling him onto the grass.

He stopped the free fall a few feet off the ground, and headed down the alley where he had agreed to meet Bers.

He hid in another alley, five blocks from the meeting point, waiting for someone to give a signal that they was chasing him and also for none of the pedestrians to see him with strange eyes.

It wasn't like he could do anything about that either; they were the Rowdyrock Boys, who were bad in Viletown. However, he didn't understand those same citizens when the Punks were going to rob and destroy to city, screaming for help to save them from the girls.

Well, that didn't matter. Just... two more years, two, and he could get out of there with Berserk.

He took a deep breath and walked out onto the street, attracting the odd look. He ignored the small attention he received and walked towards the alley, much narrower than the previous one and full of garbage bags, some torn, the occasional cat, flies, the putrid smell of food and rats. Wasn't there a damn garbage truck?

As he went into the narrow but long alley, less he had to lift his legs to get through. He was approaching the center of the alley, when a cold and sharp object appeared out of nowhere and leaned on his neck, stopping him.

He turned his head to meet the lively coral gaze of a gorgeous redhead. Would Bers know how much he loved when she let her hair down, releasing all those jumbled, uncontrollabe curls?

"Don't move," she said in a barely audible voice.

"Or what?" he dared to reply.

"Or I'll slice your neck," she said, smirking.

Barr believed her; he really believed that she would be able to cut his throat. And he, pleased, would let her. That's why he fully trusted her; not because she was going to kill him, but because he knew she would, that she would do whatever it took if she had to. Unlike his brothers, from whom he always expected -and stupidly continued to do so- a small show of affection, of loyalty, from Berserk he expected nothing. He just knew it.

Berserk was an open book, written in a language no one understood. A language that he was fortunate to know and speak.

"I'll take that risk," he replied, closing the distance between them and planting his lips on hers.

The knife she was holding stopped pressing on his neck; instead, he felt the tip of something metallic and equally sharp on the back of his neck. He wrapped his free arm around the girl, pulling her closer to him.

Bers tasted faintly of chocolate, with a hint of red berries and a little sugar on her lip... and had a very inquisitive tongue.

"Bers..." he whispered when she bit his lip.

He had to get away from her, get away from her before anyone saw them. But the sound of metal crashing against the floor, the feeling of her hands on his neck, massaging his head, and the little moan that she emitted whan the boy pulled her against the wall, made him keep kissing her, more and more intensely.

"Do... you... trust..." she whispered, "in... me?"

He would trust her with his life.

Since Bers was brushing against his crotch, causing an involuntary and slightly awkward reaction given the place, he just nodded, his mouth clinging back to her to stifle his own moan.

The girl moved away from his lips for a brief moment, so small that Barr didn't bother to open his eyes to see why she had turned away from him. She kissed him again, her tongue exploring his mouth again.

However, he felt something else. A small object, maybe a pill... so tiny that he accidentally swallowed it.

He tried to pull away from her, but Bers used the strength of her arms to force him to stay right where he was, unable to break the contact of their lips.

Slowly, his head began to spin, his body grew heavier and heavier and the binder he brought slipped. "Bers..." he whispered, suddenly sleepy. He leaned against her, unable to support his own weight.

Berserk shifted her hands, now holding him by the torso.

"Trust..." was the last thing he heard before plunging into darkness.

* * *

_"Weak," Bass said._

_"Stupid," Brume said._

_"I do not understand why Jomo decided that you would be our leader."_

_"I don't understand where you got the stupidity from."_

_Bass and Brume kept attacking him, each word more painful than the last._

_He wanted to get out of there, fly away from that stupid lab, run away from the next round of Chemical Y to make up for his... his weakness. He wanted... wanted to disappear._

_Out of nowhere, Brume hit him with the bat on the head, knocking him down. "Didn't you see it coming?" he snapped._

_He tried to get up, but Bass' foot landed on his back, pulling him back to the ground. The blond then raised both feet on him. While that wasn't gonna break his bones, it didn't mean it didn't hurt._

_"Weak," Bass hissed._

_Another blow came to his legs, causing him to let out a scream of agony. Bass jumped a little, letting his full weight fall on him. He bit his tongue to keep from letting out another cry, but he did nothing to hold back the tears._

_Brume hit him again. One, two, three, four times. And between each hit, Bass jumped on top of him._

_After a while, Barr stopped thinking about the blows, the bones that broke, the tears that flowed incessantly. He could only think of the pain in his soul._

_They were brothers. They had to love each other, right? Make some jokes, share certain likes, be accomplices in mischief... save the world, together. They were three parts of a single soul; a soul that was shattered by each word of Bass, with each blow of Brume._

_He wanted so much for them to see it that way, to feel the same as him... but it was always the same story, the same tragedy._

_Why did he naively expect each time to be different? Would they really listen to him if he gave them a lecture on souls? Or would they tease him, beat him, until Jomo decided it was enough?_

_Why did he think he would know how to control Brume's sadism, to fill Bass' emptiness? All he was doing was losing himself._

_Bass' weight was gone; instead, a pinch to the neck was what he received. The warmth and relief of Chemical Y filled his legs and chest. However, that pleasant sensation would not last long._

_The... the seizures. There were always seizures. Everything was breaking, everything was falling apart... and put itself back together. He lost complete control of himself, lost track of time... only to recover within seconds. It was an endless cycle. A cycle that always culminated with Jomo declaring that the... the... exper... experiment... was a resounding fai... failure._

_"Get him on his side!" shouted Berserk Plutonium. Berserk? What was she doing in that fucking lab?_

_Suddenly he was no longer eight years old... he was a boy of twelve, experiencing the adverse effects of the Chemical Y overdose. Bass had injected it, convinced that with that dose, Barr could finally match in strength to one of them... or to one of the girls._

_His brothers abandoned him..._

_Why did they abandon him? What did he do wrong now? He just accepted that damn injection, that damn dose, in order to meet their expectations. They were the ones who'd failed! Not him!_

_And yet he... felt like it was all his fault._

_It was._

_If he weren't so weak, his family wouldn't have the need to experiment with Chemical Y for him to be as good as his brothers._

_"Barron? Can you hear me?" Brat said, genuinely concerned._

_He was listening to her, but he couldn't get a word out. What's more, he couldn't even think of a word. His head was spinning and looked like it was going to explode at any moment._

_He wanted to rest. He wanted to sleep and never wake up._

_"Barron," Berserk whispered in his ear. "If you hear us, squeeze my hand." He felt a hand, a little smaller than his, holding his. He concentrated all his desire to move his hand, even if it was a slight squeeze. He managed to move two fingers._

_"Good," she said. "We're gonna move you, 'kay?" He moved the only two responding fingers again._

_He started to get up, each arm resting on one of the girls._

_"Where're we gonna take 'im?" Brute asked, to his left._

_"To the hospital?" Brat said._

_"I highly doubt they'll attend us," Berserk said, grabbing both his arm and waist. "Perhaps the Oppressor..."_

_"The Oppressor!?" shouted Brute. "Are you insane? He'll leave 'im on his own, ya know that!"_

_"Bellum?" Brat proposed._

_"She'll tell tha 'ppressor."_

_"Jomo?"_

_"I don' think that stupid monkee's gonna help 'im. Jus' look at 'im" she shook Barr slightly, who made a groan. "The three of us know that the only way to end like this is with an ovahdose of Chemical Y, and I highly doub' that the four-eyed moron has developed tha ability to expel it or somethin'."_

_"Deceive..." Berserk whispered. "Lena Deceive. She can help him!"_

_"Works for Bell..." Brute objected._

_"But she'll keep the secret if we ask her. She is the only person we can trust."_

_Barr assumed her sisters agreed from the silence that followed her statement._

_"Brat, distract Brume and Bass if they're still around."_

_"Uh-huh."_

_"Barron," Berserk said then. "Hold on, okay?"_

_He stopped feeling the firmness of the floor under his feet. The air brought some relief and reassurance to his highly agitated brain._

_Suddenly, a blow to the jaw knocked him down. However, he didn't fall into the void as he thought; he fell to the concrete floor._

_He was no longer the postictal twelve-year-old; he was a sixteen-year-old teen, in the center of a dark room, lit by a single spotlight._

_He looked up from his position on the ground, meeting Bass' blue coldness. What the hell was his brother doing there, like he was a bully?_

_He couldn't even open his mouth when the blonde kicked him in the face, breaking his nose. Barr fell onto his back, holding his nose and biting his tongue to keep from crying out. Thanks to Chemical Y, his face began to repair itself._

_"You are a disgrace," Bass said, in that robotic tone that gave Barr the creeps. "A stain on the surname Momo."_

_"Tell me something I don't know," he gasped, sitting up. Barron, after so many years, had gotten used to all sorts of insults that came from his brothers, to the disappointment in Jomo's eyes. It still hurt, but immediately downplayed it._

_Bass crouched down, still looking at Barron. "I understand that you are lousy as a leader. I understand that you let your feelings rule you. I understand that you are weak. I had a hard time doing it, but I understood. What I do not understand," he paused, "is why you betrayed us."_

_"What?" Barr started to get up, but Bass' right hook brought him back to the ground._

_Did he betray them? He? Who always did what they asked? Who always accepted Chemical Y injections? Who did everything to earn his place as the fucking leader of the Rowdyrock Boys?_

_"Brume," said Bass monotonously._

_The brunet appeared, pulling a redhead behind him._

_"Bers," Barr whispered, panic building._

_"'Bers'," Bass copied him off. "I thought you were capable of many things, Barron, but it never crossed my mind that you would sink so low as to betray us like that."_

_"We are your family. Your blood. You owe us loyalty," Brume said, increasing the strength of his grip on Bers' hair. She just screeched. "And yet you dare to go with this one."_

_He threw Bers to the center of that dark room. It was then that Barr could see the blows, cuts and tears of the girl, running down her face, neck and arms. He was sure that, under the clothes, there must be more._

_He tried to get closer to her, but Bass grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back._

_"You did not just decide to fraternize with the enemy, Barr," Bass snapped._

_"You also decided to crawl between her legs," Brume said mockingly, moving dangerously close to Berserk. "I hope at least you're good at fucking her," he continued, hitting the girl on the back. Bers uttered a loud cry, which was silenced by Brume's subsequent punch to her face._

_Barr couldn't get up, not with Bass hitting him with all his might to bring him back to the ground._

_"It seems like," Bass said. "Indeed, the reds are weak."_

_Why the fuck couldn't he get up? Why the hell couldn't he hit back at his brother? Why the hell didn't Berserk get up and finish off those two idiots?_

_"Brume," Bass called. "Finish her."_

_What? No. NO._

_"Bers!" he yelled, desperate. Brume grabbed her by the hair again, possibly with the intention of throwing her against one of the walls of that little room or getting her out of there._

_He managed to get up, only for the thin arms but with an incredible brute force of Bass wrapping him, preventing him from going to Bers._

_"Berserk!"_

_"Barr!" she yelled, Chemical Y at last repairing the damage to her jaw. "BARR!"_

_"BERSERK!"_

_"BARRON!"_

_No matter how hard he tried to get out of Bass' grip, it was impossible to undo. No matter how much he yelled, he couldn't get to Berserk._

_"BERSERK!"_

_If they wanted to kill someone so badly, they should kill him, but not Bers. Not her..._

"BARRON!"

_"BERSERK!" Not her..._

"BARRON!"

_She... she was the only family he had._

"WAKE THE FUCK UP!"

_And he couldn't save her._

"BARRON FUCKING MOMO! WAKE. UP!"

_Why did he believe that he could save the world when he couldn't even save the girl he loved?_

"BARR!"

Barron sat down all of a sudden, trembling and sweating. The light blinded him for a brief moment, but he regained his vision immediately, thus recognizing the apartment.

A pair of hands, thin and smaller than his, went to cradle his face. He turned his head to meet Berserk, frowning and concern visible in her eyes.

"Barr?"

She was there. She was there. Safe and sound. _Alive_.

"Bers," he whispered, wrapping both arms around her and pulling her until she was sitting on his lap. He hid his face in her neck, feeling the girl's thick and curly red hair as well and absorbing that exotic aroma of red fruits.

"Shhh, it's okay," she murmured into his hair. "I'm here."

He held her tighter, fearing that _someone_ would snatch her out of his arms, out of his life.

They stayed like that for a long time, until Barr lay down again, with her reassuring him. At some point he fell asleep again, this time without dreams tormenting him, letting a while more pass before the truth was the one that tormented him.

* * *

 **PROJECT X**

_Jomo:_

_I know that I risk being discovered, but I consider this to be extremely urgent._

_A few days ago I overheard a conversation between Commander Zara Bellum and one of the leaders of her organization. From what I understand, the Oppressor James Plutonium, your nemesis, is in search of the Mother Plaque, the one we created to be able to send the Powerpuff Girls back to their dimension._

_If I remember correctly, we destroyed the Plaque to avoid imbalances between the dimensions, which included the plans to make it. However, Bellum obtained the plans and was able to reproduce the Plaque._

_As far as I know, the Oppressor has not yet obtained it, but I know that he is already aware of its existence and in possession of who it is._

_We cannot be complacent, Jomo. We both know that the Oppressor and Bellum have a very close relationship. It will be a matter of time for the Commander to deliver the Plaque._

_Regarding the plans that the Oppressor has with that Plaque, they are totally unknown to me. Maybe he might want to travel to the dimension of origin of the Powerpuff Girls to get revenge on them, or maybe he wants to flee from here… They are just mere suppositions of mine._

_You have to get the Plaque back, Jomo. I don’t know… send the best of your boys, Bass, or someone you trust who can get lost in the crowd… I don’t know. You have to recover it at any cost, destroy all the plans and others that are in Bellum’s possession and then contact the Agency._

_Jomo… if my suspicions are true, I think it’s time to activate Project X._

_We have to stop the Oppressor. This time forever._

**WHAT ARE LITTLE BOYS MADE OF?**

What are little boys made of?  
What are little boys made of?  
Snips and snails  
And puppy-dogs' tails  
That's what little boys are made of

What are little girls made of?  
What are little girls made of?  
Sugar and spice  
And everything nice  
That's what little girls are made of

_**Powerpuff Girls:** Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice  
 **Powerpunk Girls:** Salt, Vinegar and Everything Nasty  
 **Rowdy- Boys:** Snips, Snails and Puppy-dogs' Tails  
 **Rowdyrock Boys:** Silk, Stings and Puppy-cats' Tails  
_

_The Powerpunk Girls, since their inception, have protected Oppressor Plutonium. It is the only purpose in their life, other than to please his orders. They have brought chaos and destruction to Viletown, making it worse. Since the creation of the Rowdyrock Boys, they have slowly lost territory and power over the city._

_However, even with the death of Brat Plutonium in 2006, the Powerpunk Girls were still as powerful as the Rowdyrock Boys, so their decline is still slow. What makes two as strong as three?_

_[...]_

_In 1999, the Powerpuff Girls gave Viletown hope by proving that they could defeat the Oppressor and his creations. What is it that gives them that kind of power, power that even the Rowdyrock Boys don't possess?_

_And what if it were six against two? What if the Powerpuff Girls agreed to help? What if it weren't the Rowdyrock Boys vs. the Powerpunk Girls, but the Rowdyrock Boys_ and _the Powerpuff Girls vs. the Powerpunk Girls?_

_[...]_

**_CHEMICAL Y_ **

_A few days after the apprehension of the Plutonium family, Jomo Momo reported finding a hair in his laboratory. This single hair, belonging to Berserk Plutonium's "good reflection", Blossom Utonium, demonstrated that the chemical structure of Chemical Y was identical to that of Chemical X, as we decided to call it._

_[...]_

_Following the creation of the Rowdyrock Boys, Jomo Momo has reported multiple flaws in his experiments, lacking strength, intelligence and ethics, making them just as unstable as the Powerpunk Girls. What ingredient was missing in this formula?_

_We have carefully studied the unique DNA sample from the Powerpuff Girls, and they have nothing extra in their systems._

_The ingredients used were the right ones? Or is there something in Chemical X that is not in Y?_

_We need more time and more samples to study Chemical X._

**_Chemical Y modified._ **

_So that we can find out what went wrong in the "Rowdyrock" experiment, as well as find a possible solution to the problem, we have started the modification of Chemical Y, this in order to give the Rowdyrock Boys more power._

_[...]_

_189 isomers of Chemical Y (Injections Y#) were created, and are described below:_

  * _Injection Y1: SUCCESSFUL [BM003] [...][…]_
  * _Injection Y2: SUCCESSFUL [BM002, BM003] […]_
  * _Injection Y3: SUCCESSFUL [BM002, BM003] Subject BM003 has been considered fit for service; green light to abandon test. […]_
  * _Injection Y4: SUCCESSFUL [BM002] Subject BM002 has been considered fit for service; green light to abandon test. […]_  
 _[…]_
  * _Injection Y45: SUCCESSFUL [BM001] First successful test of subject BM001 […]_  
 _[…]_
  * _Injection Y75: SUCCESSFUL [BM001] Second successful test […]_  
 _[…]_



_ADVERSE EFFECTS: nausea, vomiting, headache, migraine with aura, retrograde amnesia, loss of smell, peptic ulcers, edema in upper extremities, pain at the injection site._

_SERIOUS ADVERSE EFFECTS: tonic-clonic seizures, loss of alertness, hydrocephalus, arrhythmia, hematemesis, bedsores, renal failure, liver failure._

_[...]_

**_SUBJECTS BM_ **

_BM001; aka "Barron Momo". Tests performed: 3954. Tests failed: 3950. Tests successful: 4_

_BM002; aka "Brume Momo". Tests performed: 21. Tests failed:1. Tests successful: 20_

_BM003; aka "Bass Momo". Tests performed: 5. Tests failed: 0. Tests successful: 5_

_[...] After multiple experiments with Chemical Y, in order to improve the condition of subjects BM, we conclude that subject BM001 presents a high resistance to modifications in Chemical Y._

_Thanks to Jomo's reports, we know that subject BM001 is much weaker in every sense of the word than subjects BM002 and BM003. We do not know if this is the effect of Puppy-cats' Tails (due to the DNA involved), since this is the predominant element in BM001._

_Further investigaton is required._

**_Subject BM001_ **

_[…]_

  * _Test 0012: Abstraction; [FAILED]. IQ less than 90. Inability to concentrate and follow instructions. Injection Y23 applied; no favorable response.  
[…]_
  * _Test 0099: Strength; [FAILED]. Subject is inferior in strength and endurance compared to subject BM002. Daniels (amended for Chemical Y): 10 (extremely weak).  
[…]_
  * _Test 2309: Strategy; [FAILED]. He has no planning capacity. Takes a long time to react. Injection Y76 applied; no favorable response.  
[…]_
  * _Test 2451: Fight [FAILED]. No strength or endurance, much less pain tolerance. Injection Y120 applied; no favorable response.  
[…]_



_[…]_

**_EXPERIMENT "ROWDYROCK" CONCLUSION_ **

_Despite two members showing fit for service, the "Rowdyrock" experiment is considered a failure. Subjects BM002 and BM003 have proven to be as powerful as the Powerpunk Girls, obstructing their plans and saving the city. However, they lack the sense of ethics and morality demonstrated by Blossom Utonium, leader of the Powerpuff Girls, a quality that subject BM001 does possess. This quality is of no use to subject BM001 if he is unable to enter the fight with his fellow men._

_[...]_

_The Powerpunk Girls are more powerful, stronger, even though one of their members passed away. Berserk and Brute Plutonium have shown themselves capable of matching the Rowdyrock Boys, despite lacking their third member and, if rumors are true, despite Berserk Plutonium's mental handicap._

_Due to Berserk Plutonium's mental instability, as well as Brute Plutonium's anger management issues, and the strong alliances that Oppressor James Plutonium has established, we deem it necessary to create "Project X"._

_[...]_

**_PROJECT X_ **

_[...]_

_OBJECTIVE: Bring in reinforcements from another dimension in case the Powerpunk Girls (and the Oppressor) get out of control._

_TARGET SUBJECTS: The Powerpuff Girls_

_Since we still don't understand what makes the Powerpuff Girls different from the Rowdyrock Boys and the Powerpunk Girls, it is faster (in an emergency) to build a portal to another dimension to bring them to Viletown and take care of the Plutoniums._

**_NOTES:_ **

  * _The Rowdyrock Boys are the counterparts of the Powerpunk Girls. Following that logic, the Powerpuff Girls also have a counterpart in their dimension._
  * _Take into consideration that Brat Plutonium passed away on March 2nd, 2006, so it is possible that 1) the Powerpuff Girls have lost one of their members, Bubbles Utonium, or 2) the counterparts of the Powerpuff Girls have lost one of their members._



_[...]_

_HAZARDS TO CONSIDER: Possible death of subjects X/Y positive._

_[...]_

_IF THE POWERPUFF GIRLS CONSIDER IT NECESSARY, EXECUTE PLAN YYY: LIQUIDATE THE SUBJECTS BM._

* * *

She didn't know which was worse: what she had just read or Barr bringing Antarctica to them. ~~Definitely the latter.~~ 'Cause of the way things were, the Agency had already started Project X: kill the Powerpunk Girls and if necessary, the Rowdyrock Boys...

They basically wanted them to kill each other so that only Jomo and the Oppressor would remain, and whoever survived the massacre would rule Viletown. ~~If you stop controlling yourself, we could take over this putrid city~~.

_Shi... shit._

"In conclusion," he said, freezing the apartment more and more. "We die and one of them hails the glory."

"Using the Powerpuffs as a weapon," she complemented.

He nodded slowly, without taking his eyes off the floor. Why the fuck couldn't that damn folder contain cake recipes? Why did it have to be a fucking plan to kill them in the name of the "greater good"? Why the fuck couldn't Jomo and the Oppressor be decent fathers for once?

~~We can devise a plan that consists of slaughtering everyone in the city and taking over the world, don't you think?~~

"Barr..." she whispered, her head on the verge of exploding. "What the hell are we gonna do?"

Telling the truth to their siblings was out of question. Brute would be willing to kill one of the Rowdys and/or one of the Puffs; she would even be willing to die if necessary. ~~And you would be more than willing to spread your legs for him; I dunno what you're complaining about.~~ All in the name of the Oppressor. As for Brume and Bass... they easily assumed their "experiments" status, and surely they would have no problem sacrificing themselves for the city if necessary, killing if the situation required it. All in the name of the "greater good".

"If we tell our siblings, even if they believe us, they won't care," Barr agreed. "They only have one goal in mind: Viletown. If to control the city their life is the price, they will give it."

And Barron and Berserk weren't willing to pay that ridiculous price. Brat had already paid for it, all in the name of defending the city that only they could tear apart. She wasn't going to lose Brute ~~what a sentimentalist~~ -even though both sisters were just strangers now- and she wasn't going to lose the boy sitting on the bed, who had suffered too much in all those years.

She also knew that while the relationship between Barr and his brothers was lousy, he wouldn't leave them on their own, even if that's what they expected him to do.

They had to find a way to save their siblings ~~if it were up to me, I would leave them on their own~~ , even if it was against their fucking wishes, to keep their ~~dirty~~ secret safe, and to be free. There was only one way that could be possible.

"Barr, you have to give the plans to Jomo."

"What?" he snapped, turning to see her with surprise. "No. No no no. Bers, if I do that I'm basically handing us over to the slaughterhouse." ~~I hate to say this, but I agree with him~~.

"The Oppressor has the plaque," she replied, overwhelmed. "It's a matter of time before he gets the missing pieces and that shit to work." ~~Surely the shitty thing already works~~.

"We don't even know why he wants-"

"It doesn't matter why the fuck he wants that shit for! Jomo and the Agency want it to bring the Puffs! If the Oppressor knows that, and I'm sure he does, he's gonna bring reinforcements from another dimension, too!"

"What if he plans to flee!?" ~~And abandon you, like mangy dogs~~.

"It's the Oppressor Plutonium, Barron! He doesn't run from a fight! And he's not giving up on taking over this fucking shitty city!" He was not running from war, as Brute said. And unfortunately for Berserk, neither do they.

They had taken a bloody oath to the Oppressor. Even if she wanted to break it, Brute wouldn't. ~~Weak~~. And she wouldn't leave her behind.

"Barr," she began, calming down. ~~Stupid~~. Enough was that one of them was upset. "They're going to open that portal, it doesn't matter if they don't have the plans, if the plaque is broken, or if we try to stop them. They will and bring our selves from the other dimension to _win_."

They had to play the same game as Jomo and the Oppressor, convince them that they were right and that they were on their side; convince them that they were winning.

How could they win against their creators? ~~I don't think you can~~. How to make them fall in their own game?

 ~~Killing them, obviously.~~ As much as Bers hated it, she agreed with the voice. ~~We finally agree on something~~.

"The only way to get out of this alive, to win at this ridiculous game" he said, reading her thoughts, "is to kill the Oppressor _and_ Jomo," he sentenced. "The problem is, we're only two."

 ~~No no no. The Puffs are inevitably involved.~~ True.

"No," Bers said, linking her hand to his. "It's us _and_ the Powerpuffs."

A pair of red eyes stared at her in disbelief.

"What? Bers," he released from her grasp b ~~ecause you're filthy sticky~~ to take the binder. " _They_ are the ones who will _kill us_. _They_ will _exterminate us_ , like a pesky termite plague."

"Could be," she agreed, taking the thing out of his hands and placing it back on the bed. "But not if we get to them first."

Baron blinked, not understanding what she meant. ~~I think he already realized that you're _crazy_.~~

"We can convince them to help us," she explained. "Tell them the whole truth and-"

"A truth that we are not even going to tell our siblings," he interrumpted.

"'Cause we don't trust them!"

"And in _them_ we do!?" He got up, striding away from her ~~'cause your scent is even more repulsive~~. If he kept stomping this hard, the building would collapse. "What makes them better than us!? Than the fucking Agency!?"

"They will NOT kill us!"

"Bers, did you pay attention? The Agency wants to use them to 'save' the damn city! They'll bring the Powerpuffs to Viletown to do what we haven't been able to do in eleven fucking years!"

"The Agency thinks that they will do what they ask, without counting on their opposition!"

Barr opened is mouth to reply, regretting it at the last moment. ~~It's not worth arguing with someone whose squirrel does not turn well~~. He just shook his head repeatedly and leaned against the window frame, staring at the wall of the opposite building.

"Barr." She got up from the bed too, going over to him. She forced him to turn around and hugged him around the waist, giving the warmth he lacked. "Barr, trust me."

"I trust you," ~~lie~~ he said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "But I don't trust _them_."

They held each other a while longer, the ice covering the apartment melting and Barr's racing heart calming down.

"How do you know that they won't do what the Agency asks?" Barr murmured as the first stars appeared in the sky. Time was flying fast, at the same time their siblings' desinterest in them ~~and their disgust for you~~ increased.

"Because," she replied, placing a kiss on his neck. "Because if you paid attention, they do have an ethical and moral sense."

* * *

"Let's see if I understand, mister Doyle-"

"Colonel," the subject interrupted.

"Whatever," Detective Emma Sadler waved her hand. "In short, a hole 'magically' opened in your cell and you decided it was a good idea to cross it. And suddenly, you're on the streets of Citiesville."

"I'm surprised you got that."

"Keep your mouth shut," she hissed, with a tremendous headache from having to put up with the baldy.

"Uh-huh, it sounds sooooooo believable. Okay mist-" said her partner, McGuire, bored.

"Colonel."

" _Mister_ Doyle, you already told us 'how' you escaped. Now tell us where your accomplices are." Emma took her seat across from Tanner Doyle, but he continued to pretend he didn't see her and focus his attention on McGuire.

Sadler silently thanked the Professor for administering a small dose of Chemical X to the individual, allowing him to quickly recover for questioning. It had been incredible to her that the individual was still alive after the terrible state in which they found him.

"What accomplices?" Sometimes Sadler wondered why they weren't getting a raise for putting up with such dangerous but stupid criminals.

"Your accomplices. Miss Greenard? Doctor Mostert?" she said.

"Why would I want help from a crazy woman like her and a fellow who spread a disease that nearly killed more than half of the prisoners?"

_Good point._

"I don't know, you tell me. Where are they?"

"Don't know." He leaned against the backrest and looked away from McGuire.

"Mister Doyle," McGuire began. "If you tell us where those two people are, I'm sure the attorney will consider your cooperation-"

"For what? For they to not execute me?" the man laughed. He returned his sight to McGuire. "Detective, if I knew where those two are, I would tell you. But I don't know. I was alone when I escaped, and in all the time I was out I never ran into them on my way."

"Lie!" McGuire exclaimed, knocking over his chair as he jumped up. "Where are those cretins?"

"I. Don't. Know. In my life have I spoken with one of them."

"Rick," Sadler called him. Emma got up and grabbed McGuire's arm before he completely lost his patience and hit Doyle. "C'mon," she shook her head to point to the door.

McGuire snapped free and walked out of the room, Sadler hot on his heels.

"I think he's telling the truth," she declared when the door closed.

"Now you believe him?" he said, raising the voice. Several gossiping eyes of other officers and detectives began to fixate on them.

"Just think about it," she said, almost whispering. "The cells were closed when they reported the escape, no forced locks-"

"They could have bribed a bastard," he interrupted.

"Maybe, but the cameras don't show any-"

"They used their powers, someone modified them, what do I know? Emma, the jerk is lying."

"Okay, well, the escape is a vile lie, but... Rick, this man, as terrible as he is, does not lie."

"Are you saying it 'cause he is a military man?" Really? Had only she gone to the trouble to read Doyle's bloody file?

"I say this because of how he was raised and consequently trained. This subject handed over three of his companions for being accomplices in a petty robbery. And don't forget that he testified for the prosecution when his mother was charged with drug possession."

"Just because he has done a few good deeds in his life does not mean that he is already good."

The headquarters was silent, dozens of eyes on them and the conversation they were having. Shit. That's why she hated so much being there.

"I'm not saying he's good, Rick," she said, her voice lowering even more and moving closer to McGuire. "I'm saying that the man does not lie. Does. Not. Lie."

Rick sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Emma, he is the only one who can guide us to the others."

"Yes, but he doesn't know anything."

"Or he pretends he doesn't know anything."

"Rick..." The headache was getting worse with the stubbornness of her partner.

"No, Emma. The mayoress commissioned this to us personally. It is our job to discover the truth. In addition to providing a report to Bellum and Bubbles Utonium on Doyle's statements."

"And what are we gonna tell them? We're going to invent a whereabouts to look good with them?" This was turning ridiculous.

"No. We're going to get the fucking truth out of that asshole."

With that said, McGuire removed his coat and tossed it onto their mini desk, heading back to the interrogation room. Emma stood there for a few more seconds before following her partner. 

Some of all this she didn't like.

Before opening the door, she took out her phone and sent a quick message.

She stepped in and locked the door, preparing to stop her partner if he lost his temper.


	9. Love And Other Pterodactyls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter contains some description (in my opinion is not that explicit) of combat technique (only at the beginning). As someone who practiced karate for years, I ask you not to try any of this at home.

She hit Butch's palm. Was this blonde seriously hoping to save Townsville with that tap? Even Boom hit harder and he seemed to be in his bones.

Brick sighed and took the fists of the blue Puff.

"Not like this," he said, shaking her hands. He changed the position of her thumbs and clenched both fists. "Like this."

"I know how to punch," the blonde grumbled.

"No," Brick refuted. "You punch. But you don't know _how_." He repositioned her to face Butch. He raised both open hands again, moving them away from his body in case the blonde had bad aim and hit him in the face.

She struck again, with a little more force. However, she was still pitiful.

"Okay, good." Good? That was lame. "Now..." Brick took her by the shoulders and indicated her to stretch her arm to touch Butch's hand. As she did that, Brick was also turning her by the shoulders, making her arm reach a greater distance. "If you turn like this, you'll have greater range..."

 _And more strength,_ Butch thought.

The blonde nodded and repeated the action, this time without Brick guiding her. She slightly increased her strength, but coompared to Boomer's, she was still very sorry.

She kept repeating until, little by little, the blows became more accurate and more perfect... and much stronger, to the point where Butch began to feel a little burning in his palms.

"Hit!" shouted Brick. Butch reached out to give the little blonde a kind of slap, who was either crouching down or setting her guard up to block the blow.

At least the blonde had something redeemable: her reaction speed was surprising.

"The guard, Bubs!" yelled Boomer.

The little blonde always forgot to raise her hands to cover her face. Despite being extremely fast, if she really faced them -or any other individual that knew how to fight, they would hit her very easy on the mug.

To show his point, Butch increased his hitting speed and gave her a light slap. She raised her guard and kept hitting, without losing concentration.

"What the fuck was that!?" exclaimed his brother, now fourteen years old.

Boomer had tried to hit a log, but it looked more like he was peeing on it, like a dog.

And somehow, he had hurt his shin. Moron.

"You're good?" Bubs asked, frowning.

"Wonderful!" said the stupid blond, giving up his thumbs and walking slowly, very slowly, towards them.

He positioned himself next to Butch, keeping a little grin, and avoiding Brick's murderous gaze. He began to exhale smoke from his nostrils, making Boomer cling closer to Butch. As if he was going to protect him for being an idiot.

"You broke your leg, didn't you?" Brick said.

"Nah." Boom waved his hand to dismiss that ridiculous idea.

"So if I decide that I want to kick you to measure your strength, you will take it, right?"

Boom nodded almost so imperceptibly that Butch could barely see the tiny movement. It was then that the redhead made a move to throw the blow when Boom started to fly, his broken leg being protected by the other.

"Come here!" Brick said, pointing to the ground. Boom swallowed the... screech? Ah, whatever. He simply shook his head and flew away, Brick after him.

Butched released the breath.

"Well blondie," he said next, attracting the Puff's attention. "It seems like it's just the two of us."

What were they supposed to do now?

Let's see... Brick would put them to warm up, to run and then to jump rope, and if he was in a very bad mood like that day, a lot of cardio. On a good day, he used to pair them up to practice a little combat... and to improve their kicking technique in front of a tree.

Well, since he wasn't the "coach", a role Brick had imposed on himself, he decided they could practice a little punching. He formed two shields, one in each hand, and stood in guard. The blonde caught what he wanted to do and she too put her right foot back, raising both bandaged hands.

Ah, he remembered that time when she didn't use that much force for fear of hurting them. And he also remembered when the blonde stopped inhibiting herself so much and increased her strength much more, making it necessary for Butch to use his shields to take the blows from the once petite twelve-year-old blonde.

He started with a simple combo, only to tire her further by shifting his hands from position to test her hooks -the left one was terribly more powerful than her dominant hand- and the uppercut, which almost hit him in the plexus.

 _Jab-jab. Straight. Jab-jab, hook._ He reached out his hand; she crouched down. _Hook, hook, uppercut, upper, upper, hook._ He stretched out his arm again; the blonde raised her guard to receive the slap from him. _Jab-jab, hook._ Hit to the face; she evaded it by backing down. _Jab-jab, straight._ He removed his front hand and left the one near his face. _Jab. Jab. Jab. Jab. Hook. Hook. Upper._ Hand to the side of her face; she crouched down. _Hook. Jab- jab. Straight._ Hit to the face; she covered herself with both open hands. _Hook. Hook. Upper. Straight. Hook. Hook. Hook. Upper. Upper. Straight._

He moved away, stretching out his arm and hand. The blonde kicked his hand with her back leg, perfectly rotating her hips to further increase strength and not hurt herself. Ah, too bad that Brick wasn't there to admire that beauty of technique and very well coordinated movements.

He withdrew the shields that protected both hands to fully receive the blows from the blonde, now a girl of almost sixteen, and returning with the same -or greater- force the blows.

Given her diminutive size, it was much easier for her to land punches across his chest and abdomen, forcing him to lower his guard to protect himself from her. The blonde always took advantage of that carelessness to use the elasticity she possessed and kick his face. She sometimes connected the kick; other times, like that one, Butch managed to block the kick with both forearms.

By the force of the impact, he took a few steps back, which he took advantage of to throw himself against her and connect his fist in her face, at the same time that he dragged her with him.

And again, because of her size, the blonde nudged him in the ribs, which possibly broke but Chemical X repaired that immediately. However, the pain of the fracture made him bend and careless, so the girl took advantage of those two seconds to land a left hook, the worst nightmare of the furball.

His jaw snapped. Likewise, it repaired itself and went back to its place. He spat out the little blood that accumulated in his mouth and turned to see her, meeting her "sweet" smile.

Would there be anyone who believed that innocent smile?

"You won't expect me to do that, will you?" replied Princess, arms crossed and looking very questioningly at Brick.

"You said you wanted me to teach you to -what did you say? Oh yeah. Kick ass in your stilettos," the redhead replied, not taking his eyes off Butch and Bubs.

"I'm going to break a nail!"

"You should have thought that before you asked me," Brick said, distracting himself from Butch and the blonde.

Bubsy lunged at him, trying to land a spinning kick. Butch lunged at her, knocking her off and giving her another blow to the face. He could not even get both feet on the ground when the blonde, on the ground, knocked him down, kicking the lower part of the calf.

Butch fell sideways, receiving another kick to the side. He spun just in time to block the blow to his face. He caught the blonde's wrist and took her by the shirt to throw her to the other side of him, not counting that this girl, already sixteen, would hit him right in the forearms to free herself, falling right on top of him.

While she didn't weigh much -she didn't weigh anything-, she drew the air out of him.

"Oh God, are you okay?" she asked, resting her hands on him to get up.

Was she asking him, Butch Jojo, the "Baron of Berserk", more forcefully than Brick and Boom together, if he was okay? HA! The pretty blonde looked like she didn't know him with that question. 

"Obviously," he replied, sitting up. The girl knelt beside him, smiling at him.

That was weird; she smiled, she always did, but it always seemed fake, forced. She gave Butch chills every time she grinned like a robot; however, at that moment, that smile, while small, was quite sincere.

Butch had never noticed how one side lifted more than the other, how one of her cheekbones bulged slightly more for curling her lips. Was that...? Was that a tiny dimple?

He couldn't confirm it, as she gave him a small but extremely hard punch to the nose, sending him back to the floor. How was it possible that at some point in his life he thought she was much weaker than he and his brothers?

Bubbles Utonium had by far beaten Brick in technique, making it nearly impossible for the redhead to defend himself against her; she was so much faster than Boom, so she always managed to beat him up; and she was as strong and tough as Butch, which meant that he could hit her without feeling guilty, she would give him back something equal or much worse.

He rose, squeezing the bridge of his nose to stop the bleeding as Chemical X repaired it. He reached out his other hand to her. The blonde just smiled, an iota of guilt flashing in her eyes but disappearing immediately. She accepted the hand he offered to lift herself off the ground.

Bubsy backed away from him. Butch spun around... just in time to block the kick that was going straight for his face. However, he let go of his nose and blood began to stain his shirt. Shit. He doubted Brick wanted to wash up that mess.

The little blonde approached him, tilting his head slightly back and pressing against his nose.

"Oh dear. Sorry," she said hastily. "I thought it had already- I'm so sorry." She was sorry? For breaking his nose? Oh, c'mon! As if he hadn't broken more than half the bones in his body fighting against the furball.

"Leev id," he said. "I aldeady needet a niu nos style."

The blonde just laughed, narrowing her eyes. She looked... _Beautiful?_

Yeah, beautiful... Happy.

He liked the smile that followed the laugh... a laugh that wasn't fake or gave him the creeps. And that huge smile, with a simple dimple on the right side... it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. He felt that happiness of hers in him; he felt the peace that reigned in her, in that moment, flowing into him.

His nose made a noise, a sign that it was already repaired. She pulled her hands away from him and descended, touching the ground again. Butch took the sleeve of his shirt and wiped the remnant of blood from his nose. Brick wasn't going to be very happy, but there was nothing else to clean himself with.

He glanced at her... she continued watching him, calmly, as if she was waiting.

Bubsy then stretched her arms, widening that beautiful smile that warmed Butch's chest... _Pick her up, you idiot._ He reached down and took her by the waist, lifting her until her face was level with his. One of her legs wrapped around his waist, achieving greater balance.

And then he had a few inches from him that beautiful smile that few were lucky to see. A soft laugh accompanied that pretty smile, illuminating her face even more.

Never in his life had he had such a spectacular view as at that moment. Never in his life had he imagined having in his arms a small blonde with deep blue eyes, much less that the aforementioned girl was one of the Powerpuffs.

What had he done well to have the fortune of having Bubbles Utonium hugging him, smiling as if there was no tomorrow?

What had he done well to have the fortune to see the blue eyes of this little blonde looking into his?

And sudden _ly he began to_ wonder if he would have the great honor of _feeling her lips._ Would they be as soft and _silky a_ s her hair was? _What would that smile of hers taste like?_ Would it be as _sweet as sugar? Would it be_ possib _le to feel th_ at _beautiful and genuine_ laugh in his mouth?

He closed his eyes, _concentrating on the_ girl's small hands _on his shoulders, mov_ ing up his neck to _his cheek. A shadow int_ erfered with the light passing throught _his eyelids... his own breath collided_ with her _s._

It was only a couple of _millimeters before_ his mouth founded h _ers. A couple of millimeters_ to be able to kiss that beautiful and _cheerfu_ l girl...

 _If they had told them that that shy and obno_ xious girl, with the heart of a c _hicken and the strength of a chihuahua, wou_ ld be able to kick the ass not only to him, but to all _the miserable criminals_ who continued causin _g havoc in the damn city..._ he would have laughed in that _person's face and then b_ ullied them or something like that.

And if they had _told him that that same little blonde gir_ l, with a _fragile_ and delicate _appearance,_ with a s _ensitive and vulnerable ch_ aracter, _would be able to bring peace to his restless and hostile soul... maybe... maybe..._ he didn't know what he would have done.

He just wan _ted, at that precise moment, to feel her lips on his; feel that peace not only in his soul, but also in his body, in his heart... and if it was possible, if she allowed him, to be her anchor, her shield, who would keep her safe from any danger..._

_A little more... a little more and everything he didn't know he wanted to tell her he would with a simple touch._

_A little touch, a tickle on his lip... almost... almost tasted what his heart was pounding for. If he got a little closer, he might..._

_"If you kiss my sister, I swear I'll screw your fucking brain."_

Butch opened an eye, reluctantly waking up. What the fucking hell had that been?

He moved a little to get the clock from the nightstand. _6:08_

Well, at least he had about twenty minutes before he had to seriously get up. Sadly, he doubted that he could return to that dream... interrumpted by his... consciousness? He still wasn't sure what that voice was; whether his conscience or his alias doing itself justice.

He left the watch in its place and turned around, settling into the covers and struggling to get back to that clearing in the woods, where they always trained, away from the public eye and the chaos of the city that always needed to be saved... _To kiss my sister?_

Say what?

Butch opened his eyes again, surprised and scared by that strange voice in his head that claimed that Bubsy was its sister.

Was he going crazy? Was he still dreaming? Had someone put a microphone in his room to screw him?

He decided it was better to get up. It never hurt to get up before Brick and save him the trouble of knocking on his door to get Butch up.

He took a towel from the laundry basket and headed to the bathroom. However, on his way to the bath, he heard voices coming from downstairs. TV probably.

Effectively. Going down the stairs he found the TV light and a blond sleeping soundly, drooling on one of the cushions. Butch took the remote control and turned off the television. Would it be a good idea to wake up the furball or was it better to leave that job to Brick?

 _I'd love to see the show Brick throws,_ said the voice.

Butch looked over his shoulder, hoping someone was behind him whispering in his ear. There was no one. He looked over his head; maybe there would be someone or... there was nothing.

He momentarily brushed off the chilling thought that there might be a ghost and went upstairs to the bath, locking the door.

Since homecoming he had heard that voice, and although he had thought it was his conscience communicating with him in a very strange way, he was no longer so sure that it was his mind that caused that little voice. Neither that nor the other two voices, one of them sounding identically to Bubsy's.

He didn't hear that voice all the time, but it was awkward not knowing when it might speak and... he didn't know where it was coming from. Was it necessary to tell Brick? Did he have to go to the doctor? Was he going crazy?

_Chill, Butch. Maybe..._

Maybe what? Would he get over it as the days went by? He highly doubted this was how that sort of things worked.

He stopped thinking about the matter and went to the shower. There were few things a bath couldn't solve.

_Does a bath also solve your crush with my sister?_

He ignored that voice and got into the shower.

* * *

"KING!" Arnal yelled for the sixth time in the last hour.

Peter King, the new quarterback -and the only individual who showed up for the position- removed his helmet and smirked, as if that would save him from the coach's scolding.

Butch backed away, getting back into position by the time Arnal finished spitting in King's face.

"Why did the other have to go?" he hissed.

"'Cause he left the state," replied Jason Douglas, one of the receivers, approaching him.

What a stupid thing. Why had Martin... Matthew... or whatever his name was, decided that it was an excellent idea to get out of California?

He had seen him play, and he was excellent. Not like Peter King, with the strength of a fly and even worse aim. Why did Arnal decide to accept him? Why not better put the center as quarterback?

"And the substitute?"

"He broke his arm; he'll be back in two months," said Douglas, taking off his helmet. Arnal would seem to be screaming for a while longer. Butch followed suit and ran his hand through his hair, pushing it back.

"And the substitute's substitute?"

"Arnal expelled him," the guy replied. He was slightly shorter than Butch, but just as muscular and with the safest hands for the most impossible-to-catch passes. Or so they said out there.

Anyway... the only quarterback they had was an idiot.

He glanced up the bleachers, to the top, at a petite blonde wearing his jacket. Since Sunday the temperature had dropped, reporting first snowfalls in Citiesville. And of course, the mayor had already expressed his annoyance to Bellum and Bubsy. Did it appear to the subject that they could control the weather?

He put that thought aside when that blondie, who looked even smaller in the huge jacket, turned to see him, suddenly smiling. Unconsciously, he returned the gesture.

"Do you two go out?" Douglas asked. Butch stopped looking at the Puff to see Jason.

"What?"

"That if you date Bubbles Utonium," clarified the receiver. They? Date? Nooooo. No, no. Nope. They just-

"No, no. No," he said, shaking his head at the same time. They were just friends. Very good friends. F-R-I-E-N-D-S. Friends. There was nothing else between them...

"Too bad," Jason replied. Bad? Why was it "bad"? Butch didn't... he didn't like the blonde. Why would he ask someone out that he didn't... like?

He looked at Douglas questioningly, waiting for him to clarify what was wrong with not dating her. Jason glanced at him before opening the mouth. "What?"

"Why is it 'too bad'?" he asked, putting the helmet down and folding his arms.

"Weeeell..." Douglas looked at their other teammates. Nobody seemed to pay attention to them; they were talking among themselves, some had gone to the bleachers to rest, and others were listening to Arnal's screams.

He leaned a little closer to Butch, as if to make sure no one was listening.

"I'll tell you this as a gay guy who isn't blind and," he whispered, "as your teammate: your friend is very pretty."

Of course she was. She was Bubbles Utonium, perfection in person. Professor Utonium had taken the task of creating the perfect little girl seriously. Anyone who said otherwise, clearly hadn't taken the time to admire that beautiful blonde... _God, how gross._

He lost track of his ideas with that other voice. What the hell-?

"And," Douglas continued, unaware of Butch's expression. "Well, we all read _that_ article." If Princess still planned to kill that Johnson, she had to plan faster.

"What's your point?" Butch asked, not understanding where the guy wanted to get to.

Jason sighed. "All these fools," he looked around the field, "are waiting to be able to 'indulge her needs'," he quoted, moving the fingers of both hands to highlight it. "And first on the list is our dear useless quarterback, King."

Peter King? Dating Bubsy? Not in his worst nightmares. _And you don't like her._

But what-?

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?" Arnal yelled, snapping Butch out of his confusion. King just shrugged, like he was a spoiled five-year-old being scolded by his mommy.

He immediately returned his attention to Douglas. "I thought he was dating..." What was the name of that girl with the red lipstick? _Cam._ Oh yeah, Cam... what?

" _La Diabla?_ " Douglas completed. "My friend, that girl only has one goal and it's not Peter." The brunet stared at him in confusion, and Jason shook his head to indicate a spot in the stands.

Butch discreetly turned away, red lipstick alerting him about the girl's presence. He didn't even bother to fully focus on her, it wasn't necessary. Until that moment, he realized that almost always, during class changes, training sessions, even a few breaks, a reddish spot appeared in his field of vision, a red too garish for Brick's taste. Butch had downplayed it, and he was glad he did.

"What does she want with me?" he asked Douglas, as if he were to know.

"Look, we," he pointed out to himself and the rest of the team quietly, "are kind of the Major Leagues. And we have the 'privilege' of being able to ask girls out of that league."

"Like Cam."

"Like Cam. But there are other girls," he cocked his head to the side where Bubs was. Butch looked up to see her; the blonde wrinkled her nose and seemed to pout at the notebook on her lap. "That belong to the 'World League'."

"Like Bubsy," Butch said, beginning to understand the 'caste' system that governed Townsville High. Quite a stupid system.

"Exactly. And, if you remember, there were already two lucky ones who went out with her."

How to forget those two _lucky ones..._ _Whiny and arrogant brats._ Precisely... No, what?

"So, it wouldn't be impossible for King..." Douglas left the sentence open, as Arnal was already approaching the field center.

"GATHER 'ROUND!" roared the coach. The team approached him; some fearful and others, like King, carefree, as if what they did during training had been great.

"It was fatal," Arnal said. "Terribly fatal!" he spat, eyeing each of the players and lingering a bit longer on some, like Butch. What the fuck? He had caught everything that was catchable, blocked when asked, and the entire playbook was almost memorized. What else did Arnal want? That he did magic to catch King's terrible passes?

 _Technically, you could,_ the voice said.

 _Yes, but I don't..._ great, now he spoke with that voice.

He focused on Arnal's lecture and how lousy they had done it and how he hoped they would do better the next day. Some players, especially seniors, didn't seem upset or intimidated by what Arnal was saying. Maybe they had gotten used to it or no longer cared about it.

"Get out of my sight!" Arnal said to finish, he being the one to get away from them.

Well, that meant they could go now.

"Uh-oh, here it comes," Douglas whispered. Who was coming? Cam?

"Jojo!" exclaimed King, smiling very brightly. He strode to approach Butch. He started walking toward the locker room, Jason walking away from him and King basically running to catch up.

The brunet didn't want to talk to the walking "beauty" that was King; "beauty" for which more than half of the girls sighed. Too bad his attractiveness was of no use to him on the field, least of all with Arnal.

"You did well," King complimented him, panting, once he had caught with him. What was that more false compliment about than his perfect teeth?

"Aha," he replied. If King expected a compliment for his effort, he had approached the wrong person for it.

"Jojo, I..." he paused, looking at the others. Then he moved a little closer to him, invading his personal space even more. "Can I ask you something?"

"You already did."

He giggled a little, making Butch more uncomfortable. "How funny. No," he continued equally. "I wanted to know if you and, you know," no, he didn't, "are dating."

"Me aaaaaand..." he lengthened the word, searching for the other name in that sentence.

 _You and my sister, idiot,_ the voice answered. Butch tried not to react; instead, he quickened his pace, thus hoping to outrun King.

"Bubbles," King confirmed, running off. Why was everyone asking him if they were dating? Why didn't they ask her directly?

Butch sighed dramatically and stopped short. King hit him on the arm as he stood up.

"No, why?" he blurted out, fed up.

King clenched his fist and shook it in celebration. He recovered quickly and clapped Butch on the shoulder. "For nothing," he added, smiling. Would Arnal kick him off the team for breaking King's teeth?

The individual turned away from him, heading for the locker room. Butch followed, hurrying to change and leave, before King had a chance to ruin Bubs' afternoon.

He didn't even bother to shower. He took off his uniform -which now that he saw it, was hideous- and put it in his bag, like the rest of the equipment. He got dressed as quickly as possible and, just as the first guys were getting out of the showers, he was gone, almost flying onto the field.

He arrived at the time Bubsy was already on the field, adjusting her bag so the handles wouldn't hurt her.

He might as well come up from behind and scare her... _or you could approach her like a normal person._

He suppressed the desire to react to that voice in his head and moved closer to Bubbles. She, as usual, had taken out her phone to check the time, trying in turn to accommodate the bag on her shoulder.

Butch took the bag from her, pulling her out of her reverie, and placed it on the same shoulder where he hung his own bag.

"Shall we?" Butch asked.

"I can carry it, you know? she said at the same time. She reached out, with a great effort, trying to retrieve the bag from him.

The blonde had commented him that, despite the fact that Chemical X had repaired as much as possible, it had been necessary to bandage both arms up to the shoulder, as the wounds were still open and she also needed some compression so that the muscles could heal correctly.

"I bet you an eighty-year-old woman could move better than you," Butch said, seeing that Bubs had dropped her arm from the effort.

"And I can bet you that same old woman smells better than you do," she replied, wrinkling her nose. Did he smell so bad?

Butch raised his free arm and sniffed his armpit.

"Butch!" Bubsy exclaimed, between disgusted and laughing.

"What? You said I smelled bad, I had to check it out."

"And do you smell bad?"

"I smell like a man," Butch declared proudly.

"Do men usually stink?" she said, starting to walk.

"I don't smell so bad," he defended himself, following her. 

They walked across the field to the parking lot, discussing what a man smelled like. And apparently, he didn't fit that definition.

"Hey," she said, taking his arm with both hands. "Can you accompany me to 'The Phoenix'? I wanna buy a few things."

They had no pending for the next day, and he had nothing better to do than... _hold her hand?_

Butch snapped his head around, a reflex movement he'd developed after hearing that voice for the past few days.

"Butch?"

He returned his attention to the blonde, who was looking at him strangely, still holding his arm.

"Hmm? Yes, yes. Sure," he stammered.

"All good?" she asked him, standing in front of him.

_Oh yeah. Everything is great. I only hear a voice that insists that you are its sister, but other than that everything is fine._

He couldn't tell her that. She might think he was going crazy.

"All good," he replied instead. He smiled at her to show her that everything was fine and took her hand. Bubs nodded, accepting his answer and curving her lips, resuming their walk.

* * *

" _Mierda_ ," Bubsy exclaimed, giving up trying to pull out a canvas. "Can you help me?"

Butch bit back a laugh and an intense urge to say "I told you so". He took the canvas and pulled it out, holding it with one hand for her to observe.

She reached out to take it, but she thought better of it.

"Noup," she murmured. Butch put it back in its place, waiting for Bubs to show him what other canvas to take out.

He watched her closely, his gaze concentrating on the small reddish marks that ran down her neck. Because of the collar of the jacket, they weren't that noticeable, but they were still there, as a reminder of what Bioking was capable of. The same happened with her arms, bandaged and with very limited movement. She could barely move her fingers, so both Robin and Believe tried to help her when taking notes.

He hated seeing her like this. He knew she hated it even more: feeling useless and having the world depend on her anyway.

"This one," Bubs said, tapping her index finger on a slightly larger canvas. Butch took the canvas, in turn trying to forget about the blonde's injuries.

She nodded repeatedly, pleased. She then took his hand, dragging him to the other hall, full of oil paints and brushes of all kinds.

They stopped in front of one of the shelves with tubes of pink paint. Well, for Butch everything was pink, not so for the blonde who looked over each of the tubes, analyzing which would be the best for... for the project she had in mind.

Usually, Bubsy kept a notebook where she made all kind of drawings, sketches, some watercolor paintings and some others with colors or just pencil. No one except himself and Robin could see the contents of the notebook. She rarely decided to go big, do a more laborious project, as she planned to do by buying a canvas of that size and oil paints.

If he asked her what she wanted to do, would she tell him?

Bubs wasn't so open about the art she made; she didn't usually share her thoughts regarding what she drew, much less did she give an explanation of why she did it.

She stretched both arms towards two tubes, taking them one in each hand respectively and frowning.

"Which one do you like the most?" she asked him, lifting the tubes a little higher so that he could observe them.

They were both pink. They seemed the same tone to him. It was pink. Was there a big difference in tone?

 _If there wasn't, she wouldn't ask you, moron,_ said that annoying voice in his head. He suppressed the urge to react and made an effort to tell the difference between the two pinks.

 _I like the pastel one better than the pale,_ commented another voice, the one that seemed to be calmer.

"What-?" he said under his breath, looking behind him. There was no one. Were those voices really coming from his head? Was he going crazy?

"Butch?" Bubsy said, drawing his attention back. "Is everything alright?"

_But of course not._

"It's... Yes. Yeah, all good," he winked. "I like the pastel one," he added, following the... Why was he following the advice of a voice in his head?

"Sure?" she asked, putting her hands down and forgetting about the paint.

What was he going to say? That he had two voices in his head that spoke to him without warning and he didn't know where they came from? She was going to think that he had hit his head, that he was on drugs, that he was going crazy-

 _Especially for her,_ said that voice, the one that had been the most persistent.

_What?_

_Oh, you know... It's not like you were gonna kiss her just for the sake of it._

_That wasn't..._ "Butchy?" the blonde said, pulling him out of his discussion with himself. She put the paints back on the shelf and walked over to him, holding him by the sweatshirt. "What's going on?"

Was there a decent way to tell her that he heard voices?

 _No, but there may be one to tell her that you like her,_ the said voice answered.

He didn't... He didn't like Bubbles. Why even his mind insisted on that? He didn't like her. There was nothing special about that... that blonde... _With bright, smiling blue eyes and a smile as radiant as the sun?_

Exactly. There was no... _what?_

"Butch?"

He reacted to the voice of that little blonde, who looked at him puzzled.

He had to tell her, before she thought he was as nutty as a fruitcake.

He opened the mouth to say the biggest stupidity he would ever say to her when an alarm began to echo in his brain.

The few people who were in the place left it, curious, only for a few moments later to flee in terror. The cashiers stood behind the counter, pale and shaking.

Bubsy took off his jacket and handed it to him, moving slightly away from him. She began to walk cautiously towards the exit of the place at the same time that she took the phone out of her jeans and reviewed the new emergency.

Butch sighed, a little relieved. Saved by the bell?

_Saved by the alarm, I would say._

He blinked a few times before dismissing those words. He put the canvas and jacket on the floor and followed Bubs' path, who was already putting away her phone.

The blonde left the store, pushing the door with her shoulder. Butch followed her, stopping inches from where she stood, looking down the end of the street. He followed the direction of her surprised gaze.

He knew that on the Monster Isle were creatures of different sizes, but none as gigantic as the fucking skyscraper. And certainly none like that hideous monster that seemed to be much larger than the aforementioned building.

The thing, gigantic, winged and yellowish, opened its colossal green beak and emitted a kind of cry. He covered his ears, for the sound was hellish. It closed the beak and buried it in one of the streets. The screams soon echoed.

The bird opened its beak again, but instead of giving another plaintive cry, it released purple fire. It began flapping its wings, rising, intending to spread the flare.

With every move, it hit a building, smashing it. If there were people or not, it was already very difficult to know.

"BUTCH!" the blonde screamed, alerting him in time to the violet flare approaching them. He took Bubs and pulled her close, protecting them in turn with a shield.

He expected the fire to burn everything in its path, to produce heat as unbearable as Brick's when he was furious. However, the fire seemed harmless.

He lowered his shield, peering into the fire. It was dying out, causing no damage other than a few blackish spots. Of what use was that power if it...?

Slowly, everything that was hit by the fire began to melt, like acid burning the cloth. The screams in the central area of the city became more piercing, surely due to the injuries from the fire.

" _Me lleva la chingada,_ " Bubs muttered, pulling out her phone again and dialing a number. "Here Blue Agate; authorization code UTON313A. I requiere activation of protocol BUTTERCUP. What?" she paused, listening on the other end of the line. Butch couldn't hear the conversation; the screams and the destruction that the fowl was beginning to make interfered with his hearing. "Are you not fucking seeing!? There's a bloody monster in the middle of the fucking city! This is not a fucking drill! I repeat: THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"

She hung up as one of the city's many evacuation alarms sounded.

"Butch!" Bubsy called. She seemed to want to tell him something, but she doubted whether it was a good idea or not.

Another round of fire and screaming made her turn her head towards that colossal fowl. Bubs then looked at her arms and he understood what she wanted to tell him.

"What do you need me to do?"

* * *

Sirens, crashes, violet fire, dead phone lines, and the supersonic scream of Bubs competing with the plaintive cry of a yellow pterodactyl wasn't Michael Believe's idea to spend a pleasant afternoon with Brick.

Supposedly they would advance the Physics work for Monday, so that they had the whole weekend off... but Brick had decided to cook something for both of them and then they entertained themselves looking for a movie to spend the afternoon... and maybe they would not have seen the movie because they would be busy with other... _stuff_.

But apparently a colossal extinct animal from the Jurassic had decided to make an appearance and devastate the city, of course. A normal day in the quiet city of Townsville.

The pterodactyl screamed again, louder now, piercing his ears. At the same time, another scream was heard, the one that must have come from Bubbles...

He felt like his head was going to explode.

Brick, who had been watching that thing out the window, walked over to Mike, placing his hands on his to further protect him from the atrocious noise that beast emmited. How lucky were those with Chemical X.

There was silence, which was again broken by the desperate and terrified screams of the city.

"You're good?" Brick asked. Mike barely managed to move his head; the pain was creeping in, and he couldn't hold his ears anymore. It was as if at any moment his eardrums were going to burst and his brain was popping out of them, coupled with nausea.

Brick took his phone from the coffee table and dialed a number. He held the phone to his ear, waiting for there to be service and for the person he dialed to answer.

"Boom!" he said on the phone. Even that slightly raise of tone gave Mike another jolt of pain. "Finally someone answers... where are you?"

Mike covered his ears again and closed his eyes, trying to calm the pain and the annoying buzzing echoing him. He felt Brick's hand move over his.

"See you with Snyder." The redhead hung up and put the phone in his pants. He turned slightly to see the pterodactyl out the window, then turned away from Mike. 

He returned with their jackets, helping Mike put on all the coats he was wearing to withstand the cold.

Another scream, more pain. He clenched his teeth and the hands that covered his ears, but the pain was getting more and more unbearable and that thing didn't seem to shut up.

Brick lifted him into his arms and held him close.

"Okay, let's get out of here," he announced, walking toward the observatory exit. The doors opened one by one, letting in that infernal noise. "Cover your ears," Brick instructed.

What did it look like he had been doing for the past few minutes?

The piercing scream of that thing filled the entirety of his ears, interrupting the continuity of his thoughts. He squeezed even closer to Brick, trying to muffle that sound from one side. The monster's scream was countered with another scream, much higher and less painful unless it was in range of Bubs' supersonic scream.

The air hit him in the face, and the scandal of that thing diminished.

After another couple of seconds, he felt a little jolt and opened his eyes, focusing on a red door; the Utonium's home.

He heard the monster scream again, but the terrible noise no longer hurt him. They had escaped the damage range of that lament.

"He's okay?" Brick asked. Mike moved his head slightly to see Boomer, landing a few feet from them, with Mitch still covering his ears.

"He just feels like his brain is gonna explode," the blond replied. "Other than that, he's fine."

Mike closed his eyes, settling into Brick's arms and encouraging himself to remove his hands from his ears. To have been on the verge of going deaf, he could clearly hear a few birds singing and the cool breeze that was blowing.

"Guys!" a girl called them. From the tone, she seemed to be Robin. "C'mon."

Both Jojo brothers started walking towards Robin's house. Mike felt the pleasant heat shock of the house, as well as the delicious aroma of chocolate that characterized that home so much.

Brick's arms were replaced by something much softer but that did not exert force on him to carry him.

He half-opened his eyes, finding a redhead, who wasn't so pleasant to see, handing him a glass of water and a pill.

"It'll ease the pain," she said, her shrill voice ripping through Mike's eardrums. He took the glass and the pill and drank them, feeling the pain again as he swallowed. He returned the glass to Princess and settled on the sofa.

He managed to make out the noise of the television when someone turned it on, but he couldn't make out the words of whoever was speaking. He wasn't even sure he heard that hum that accompanied the silence.

He also didn't hear Brick cursing the moment he saw his other brother on television, fighting the pterodactyl alongside the blonde.

* * *

The bird screamed again, directing the sound waves back at them. Not even his shield provided protection against the noise of that thing.

He felt his head was going to explode, even with Chemical X protecting his person.

He turned to see Bubs, also covering her ears and shrugging. Unlike Butch, her ear had already started to bleed.

The bird closed its beak and flapped one of its bald wings, striking them both and crashing them into one of the many buildings in the city.

A couple of ribs cracked and immediately rearranged themselves, momentarily knocking the air out of him. He sat up, holding his head. Beside him Bubs moved, covering the ear whose eardrum must have burst.

He tried to reach her when that thing's beak went after them, crashing a few floors down. The building began to shake, threatening to collapse.

"Let's get out of here!" Bubs yelled at him, getting up and grabbing his arm. They exited the building as several floors, including the one they were on, collapsed.

The monster spat fire at the building and the others underneath. Seconds later, the buildings began to melt. Butch couldn't hear any screams; he didn't know if it was because they had already evacuated everyone or if it was because he no longer heard anything.

They stood a good distance from the plucked chicken, watching the chaos.

They had tried to hit the monster -him more than Bubs, who was limited with both arms incapacitated-, burn it with heat vision, hurt it with his own energy beams... and that thing seemed immune.

There must be a way to even scratch it.

The bald bird turned its head and opened the beak. Shit. There they went again. Even if they flew away from its beak, the noise was still thunderous. And his shield was useless against the sonic waves.

A hand pulled him by the sweatshirt, positioning him just behind the blonde.

As the plucked hen let out that terrible scream, Bubs attacked with her own supersonic scream, trying to protect them both from the scandal. However, it wasn't enough either.

Butch covered both ears tightly, clenching his teeth in pain.

When the silence fell, another impact hit him, throwing him into one of the city streets. He tried to get up despite the feeling that his brain was melting. He looked for Bubs, but she was nowhere near where he had fallen.

She possibly had dodge the blow or had fallen in another part of the city.

Be that as it may, he had to seek her out or, failing that, destroy the monster that was destroying both the city and everyone's hearing.

* * *

 _Bubbles!,_ BC screamed in her head. Ah, at last that grumbling voice appeared.

Bubbles sat up, smashing the odd glass and brushing off the debris of wood, concrete and glass that had fallen on her.

Her arms were aching, and her throat wasn't much better. She put a hand in her left ear, which was already beginning to repair itself. She supposed that possessing a supersonic scream would gave her the ability to withstand the screams of that thing, but she had been wrong.

"Any ideas, Bloss?" she muttered as she got to her feet.

Both she and Blossom had agreed that a supersonic scream could combat the non-extinct pterodactyl, but that thing's scream was far worse than hers. If she continued to scream unhingedly, as she had done up to that point, the only thing she would achieve would be to break her vocal cords, and since it was the only defense she had to resist the hellish noise of the bird, she couldn't risk stick with that plan.

From the silence in her mind, she assumed that none of her sisters had a plan.

Well, plan A wasn't working... Plan B?

 _I don't think there's a weapon capable of destroying the plucked chicken,_ BC said.

Plan D?

 _I don't think any of them can resist that thing's plaintive cry, not even with the Dynamo's protection,_ Bloss objected.

The bird, which due to its size and weight could barely rise a few meters from the ground, flapped a little, fixing its direction towards her. His beak began to open, a small violet flame at the level of the uvula becoming visible.

Well, maybe it was time to apply plan C.

 _What's that one?,_ both voices asked in unison.

_Run._

* * *

The fowl spat another purple flare, razing another building. Butch could make out a faint blue trail coming out of there, heading towards him. Bubs.

The blonde stopped inches from him, not taking her eyes off the bird.

"Do you have a plan?" he asked her. She ignored him, but from her expression she seemed to be searching for a plan of action against the fire-breathing animal.

Bubbles moved her lips, although he didn't know if she was saying something to him or just talking to herself. Now that he thought about it, he hardly heard any of the damage the bird was causing.

She turned to look at him and said something. Butch leaned closer to her, trying to catch some of what she was saying. She realized the problem and screamed.

"DO -U -VE- AN- I-EA?"

What?

"WHAT?"

 _Oh, for heaven's sake. That if you have any plan or whatever to finish off the plucked chicken,_ the voice said in his head. For the first time in five days he was grateful that this voice existed and that it could tell him what Bubsy was asking him.

Butch shook his head, answering the blonde's question.

Let's see... he had already hit that thing and nothing happened to it; he had even grabbed a lamp post and slammed it into the chicken's beak, and it didn't hurt it either. Bubs had screamed her lungs out and the thing didn't seem to flinch. The heat vision didn't penetrate its skin, nor did the energy beams. His shield was of no use other than to contain the bird, and containing it was the least of it.

What was missing to try?

"-OOM-R!" she said, catching his attention. "CAN -U C-L -M?"

 _If you can call Boomer,_ the voice said.

He pulled the phone out of his pants. Maybe the phone was alive, but he couldn't say the same for the line.

"I HAVE NO LINE."

Bubs narrowed her eyes and brought the good side of her closer to him. Butch repeated what he had yelled, to which she nodded, frowning.

 _Fire!,_ shouted the other voice, the one that used to be silent. When all this was over, he had to see a doctor. 

He hugged Bubs with one arm, while he raised up the other and created a shield.

 _Umm... Butch,_ the first voice alerted him... Ah, Jessica would call it as he found out what the hell was going on in his head. He threw his head back, realizing that his shield was beginning to melt. _Shit._

Fortunately, the fire stopped before it could hit them. If that flare was able to melt his shield, what would it do to them?

"I HA- ID-A" Bubs said, still glued to him. "FOL-W -E!"

"WHAT?"

"F-LO- M-!" she yelled, wriggling out of his arms and flying into the sky.

 _Follow her, you idiot!,_ Jessica yelled.

He flew in the same direction, following the baby blue trail she left.

* * *

 _I don't know if that's possible,_ Bloss hesitated.

_It's the only idea I have._

They crossed the exosphere, finally freeing themselves of the gravity that was pulling them to Earth. She watched Butch, waiting for her orders.

Sometimes Bubbles regretted that she no longer had access to the combo attacks she performed with her sisters... and at that moment she missed them more than anything.

As for her... with her arms still in the process of recovering, it was impossible for her to launch an energy beam, let alone her own electricity. The supersonic screams weren't much help either, and the heat vision couldn't penetrate the pterodactyl's skin.

She couldn't turn to the boys eithers, who she guessed had attacks similar to hers and her sisters. However, it was impossible to contact them and... she wasn't going to risk them like that.

 _Excuuuuuuse me, but you have one of them literally waiting for you tell him what to do,_ BC scolded her.

 _She needs help, Buttercup,_ Bloss defended her.

_In all this time she always refused to receive it and now-_

"Do you want to shut the fuck up!?" she screamed. She doubted that Butch had heard that, but she started talking to him anyway to distract him from her earlier sentence.

"BUTCH," she began, trying to speak loud and clear for him to understand. "HAVE YOU EVER MADE A COSMIC CANNON BALL?"

Butch took a few second to shake his head.

_Well, shit._

"HO- -S -NE?" he asked.

"WHAT?"

 _How is it done,_ replied Bloss. Blessed was she who wasn't deaf.

"WE'RE GOING TO FALL BACK TO TOWNSVILLE," she said, raising her voice higher. "WHEN WE ENTER THE MESOSPHERE, WE JOIN," she continued, exemplifying her words with her hands. "AND WE CREATE THE BALL, A BLACK BALL."

Butch nodded after a few seconds. Well, Bubs would have to trust that he had heard her and that he had understood her. She pulled away from him a bit more and looked down, visualizing the city. She blinked a few times before having Townsville in her sights.

 _Hurry up before the temperature turns off your powers,_ Blossom rushed her.

_I know, I know._

She looked at Butch once more. He too had fixed his eyes on the city. He turned to see her and nodded.

"NOW!"

They pounced towards Earth, back to Townsville.

She felt all the pressure and heat and then the cold of reentry. She forced herself to keep her eyes open so that she wouldn't lose sight of the pterodactyl.

 _Now, Bubbles!,_ Blossom warned her.

She began to get closer to Butch, who noticed her trajectory change and moved towards her as well.

She began to doubt, because the spark of energy that jumped when they began to unite didn't occur between them. Could two form the attack? Could the two of _them_ form the attack? Or was it something she could only do with her sisters?

They had the same Chemical X, the same strength and endurance, almost the same powers. His brothers had combo attacks much like the ones she had with her sisters. Following that logic, they should be able to...

 _Bubbles, it's not working!,_ Blossom exclaimed.

The clouds covered them; soon they would find the pterodactyl and it would simply be the two of them against fire that could possibly kill them or against another round of screaming that would burst their brains.

She could push Butch aside, and have him crash in another part of the state. Save his life. He hadn't taken an oath; he hadn't promised anyone that he would keep the city safe. She did.

She hugged him, trying not to think about everything that could go wrong. His arm went around her, pulling her against him. She readied her arms to push Butch as far as possible; she prepared herself to receive the fire or the screams or whatever that monster had prepared for her.

And then, that spark jumped.

* * *

His vision tunnelled, and a kind of heat began to run down his back. He exerted more force against Bubs, hugging him but somehow _attached_ to him. It was a very strange feeling and at the same time comforting.

The head of the plucked chicken became visible. That was the last he saw of the bird before feeling the impact all over his left side. The fowl had hit them with its wing, defending itself from their attack.

They crashed into four different buildings. He heard the bones in his arm and leg snap back into place, like those ribs that had been broken before. He had forgotten what it was like to fight a monster... of course he had never faced one of that size.

The blonde next to him gave a small groan. He tried to get closer to her when the chicken's plaintive cry began to echo, piercing his ears to his brain.

He covered his ears; the noise was such that he couldn't even get up from the force of the sound waves. He shrugged, making himself as small as he could.

Suddenly, the pain began to subside, as Bubs had managed to get up and placed herself in front of him, providing her own cry as protection from it. It might not eliminate the noise of the turkey, but it was a great relief to stop feeling his brain melt.

He tried to get up, still covering his ears, when both screams stopped.

Did Bubsy manage to overcome the animal's plaintive cry?

He rose to his feet, risking taking his hands away from his ears. To his good fortune, the bird, that had been distracted by something at the other end of the city, did not utter another cry.

He walked over to Bubs, her hand on her neck.

"Bubs-?" he began, only to receive a bloody spit in response. Had she-?

Had Bubbles burst her vocal cords?

He assumed she did when she took his hand and dragged him with her to dodge another round of piercing screams.

Butch wasn't that fast flying; it was one of the big disadvantages that most of his DNA was snails. And at that moment, that he wasn't even flying at all, he was just being dragged by the arm by a Puff, was grateful that he couldn't fly like that. Small insects hit him in the face and he almost swallowed one. How did Bubs and Boom manage to avoid mosquitoes and other crap in the air?

Bubs made a few more moves before heading ashore. They hid in an empty fruit and vegetable store behind the counter.

Despite the fact that he had made the minimun effort in that swift flight, he felt that his heart was going to leap from his chest. He turned to see Bubs, as agitated as he, spitting out more blood again.

_Fuck._

She couldn't scream anymore, and Butch didn't possess that power. Even if he did, given the tone of his voice, he doubted he could stand up to the plucked chicken.

They ran out of options, and that bird seemed to be indestructible, even more so than them.

"BUBS," he said, raising his voice so that she could hear. Sure enough, he got her attention. "DO YOU HAVE ANY PLAN?"

If a turkey wasn't threatening to destroy the city and them, he would have laughed at the girl's face. After a few seconds, she shook her head and pointed at him.

Hmm... That if he had a plan?... The reality was that he didn't. They could fight that thing with fire... but only Brick was capable of producing fire. They could shock it, but Bubs was in no condition to do so and his other option was Boomer... his other options were attacks in combination with his brothers, but none of them were there and Brick would not be willing to do it. In addition, they had already verified that even then they couldn't stop the bird.

He struck his leg with the open palm and shook his head.

How the fuck were they going to defeat a fire-spitting, skull-smashing turkey?

He couldn't think of any plans when another intense round of screaming came. While they weren't in its direction, it were still deadly. Followed by the scream came a blast of fire. It was not entirely directed at them, but it was directed at the entire area in which they were. Butch raised his arm, creating a shield.

Bubs pressed against him, trying to get away from the edge that was beginning to melt. Fucking shit. His shield wouldn't last long; they had to get out of there.

The girl took his arm, pulling him behind her as soon as the fire stopped going their direction.

They rose beyond the height of the skyscraper, watching the wreckage of the plucked chicken and the chicken itself, spitting fire and hitting everything with each flap.

The bird closed its beak and jerked its head upward toward them. _Oh shit._

 _Get out of there!,_ Jessica yelled, reappearing in his head. Logically they had to get out of there... they would have, if they had reacted faster.

Again, the scream of that thing pierced his brain, now adding a great compression to the rest of his organs from the impact of the sound waves. Was it normal to have a huge urge to vomit?

He gripped his head tightly, clenching the jaw, the pain growing unbearable.

By the very force of the waves, it was impossible for him to move; it was as if they had him paralyzed with the beam that the Professor had in his lab, only that it didn't hurt.

He heard Bubs' supersonic scream again -Chemical X had apparently already repaired her throat, but not enough to deal with the turkey.

With his eyes closed, he only made out a bluish white flash and right after that, silence fell.

* * *

_How-? How did I do that?_

She had regained her voice and took the opportunity to scream again. Her scream wasn't as powerful as the previous times, and she would soon break a vocal cord again.

She just... she... simply stretched out her arm out of inertia, hoping to release an energy beam despite the Professor's orders to limit the use of her arms, trying to buy them time to get out of there.

But what came out of her was more than just energy.

* * *

He opened his eyes, curious to see what had happened. And his response was a bunch of pudding slamming into his face. He closed his eyes again, as the chicken filth and brain began to permeate him. Brick would surely refuse to do his laundry.

He was very tempted to open his eyes again to find out what had happened to the turkey; if it was alive and well or if... well, if Bubs had destroyed it. But feeling the filth of a chicken crashing into him, stopped him from doing such stupidity.

He heard a kind of explosion. He didn't have time to create a shield, as the turkey stuffing immediately slammed into him. He just covered his face, trying to get closer to wherever Bubs was.

When he stopped feeling the stuffing falling into him, he dared to open his eyes. Right in front of him was Bubbles, covered top to bottom in pudding of... he wasn't gonna put a flavor on it. He adored pudding as if to compare it to turkey filth.

A pungent, foul odor reached his brain. That thing reeked like... he didn't really want to know what. It would gross him out more than it already had and would take away his desire to eat pudding again in his life.

He approached Bubs the moment a second explosion happened. He tried to cover her but... well, there wasn't much to cover when she was already covered entirely in turkey stuffing.

Bubs put her hands to the face and wiped herself off, or did the best she could. From her face, she seemed to have swallowed some of the stuffing. Gross.

She began to descend, to a small clearing in the middle of a street. Butch followed her, landing next to her. He started brushing the chicken filth off his clothes, though it wouldn't do any good. Maybe Brick agreed to burn the clothes.

He looked over to where the chicken had once been, now just a pair of legs, with pudding sticking out of what must have been the stomach and a claw still clinging to a building.

 _Turkey-face, your sweetie just asked you something,_ Jessica said.

He turned to see Bubs... _Wait, she's not-_

_Ah, I dunno. What I do know is that she is waiting for your answer._

Sure, right. And what did she ask him?

"What?"

The blonde moved her neck, moving closer to him. Oh, right. She was as deaf as he was.

"WHAT?"

"AR- Y- -AY?" she repeated, opening her mouth wide.

 _Are you fucking kidding me? If you're okay, thick head,_ Jessica repeated.

"AH," he said, more for him than for her. "YEAH. AND YOU?" Bubs raised an eyebrow and after a few seconds, she nodded vigorously.

Great. Perfect. They had destroyed a turkey and... Now that he thought about it, how did that bird make it to the middle of the city without the alarms on the coast going off? Despite the damage caused by the tsunami, the first thing that had been repaired were the alarms. It was impossible for that thing to get into the middle of the city without causing damage to the surroundings. And 'cause of the way it flapped, it was impossible for it to come flying from the sky...

He glanced at the blonde, realizing from her expression that she was also looking for an explanation for the sudden appearance of that thing.

He unconsciously moved his hand, brushing a piece of pudding from her ear, causing her attention to drift to him. A smile began to spread to her lips, rubbing it off on Butch. Her hand went to his wrist, at the level of her neck, where he had left his hand without realizing it.

If he got a little closer, maybe he could know how that dream interrupted by Jessica ended, the annoying voice in his head that, for now, didn't interrupt the moment.

 _God, I don't wanna see,_ said the aforementioned voice.

And there would be no need to, for the turkey exploded for the third time, impregnating them with even more filth. Butch silently vowed never to eat turkey again, much less the stuffing.

He wiped the side of his face that had been affected. He refocused on the blonde, a huge stuffing tower over her head. Like him, she cleaned her face.

Out of sheer inertia, he adjusted the pudding on her head. Bubs felt the movement above her head, looking up to see what he was doing.

"NOW YOU LOOK LIKE JIMMY NEUTRON," Butch said, grinning at his creation.

He didn't expect the blonde to throw a bunch of crap in his face. It was official: he would never eat pudding again for the rest of his life.

"NO- Y- -OK LIK- -LF," she commented.

 _You look like Alf,_ Jessica said, clarifying what Bubs had said.

He pushed the padding away from his face and tossed it back to her, who managed to turn around so that it hit her on the back. However, the filth on her head fell off, leaving a nasty trail on her face.

"NOW YOU LOOK LIKE A TELETUBBIE," he said, starting to laugh.

She lunged at him, knocking him down on the stuffing. They began to struggle, tossing balls of turkey stuffing, laughing for a while before going back to the art store for their things and then back to her house, so they could get the remains of the turkey off.

* * *

Brick turned to the next page of the newspaper. As much as he denied it and disliked it, he had copied that habit from Mojo; he only needed a huge cup of coffee to be the exact replica of the ape.

Boom turned off the TV, getting sick of listening to the news. Maybe he should do the same as Brick and start reading the newspaper instead of putting up with the stupid comments from the presenters.

He went to get his phone, at the coffee table, to see if Butch had already answered any of his messages. The Bitch had told him that he would accompany Bubs to buy some things and then come back, and since a zombie toucan had appeared out of nowhere, he doubted they would have continued with that plan.

From the few images in the newspapers and on the internet, it seemed like Butch had decided to help her with the toucan. On the one hand, he was glad that Bitch did it; Bubbles was too limited with both arms injured from Friday. On the other hand, he was worried about what Brick was gonna say -or do to him. Boom wanted to believe that if the redhead had been with Bubs, he would still have agreed to help her. Boomer would, without hesitation, even if it meant disobeying Brick's orders.

The observatory doors slid open, giving way to... was that shit their brother?

Brick wrinkled his nose, Boom guessed from the smell that followed Bitch's arrival, bathed but his clothes covered in... he didn't know what and he didn't really wanna find out.

"What the fuc-!?" the older brother began, folding the newspaper in half and tossing it on the table. He fell silent immediately, as Butch raised a defensive hand to explain.

"I didn't do anything you wouldn't have done," he said, dropping his bags on the floor.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Brick asked annoyed.

Boom settled into his spot on the couch, preparing to watch the show between the two brothers and also to separate them in case things got more intense.

Butch made a small grimace and leaned a little closer to Brick, who was still waiting for his answer.

"I've told you a shitload of times TO NOT GET INVOLVED," Brick continued, ignoring the brunet's expression. "But it fucking seems like I'm fucking talking to the fucking wall, for fuck's sake. DO NOT GET INVOLVED. How fucking difficult is it to follow that simple instruction?"

Boom forced himself to keep his mouth shut, for Brick himself had ignored his own order a couple of days ago.

"So? You have nothing to say?" said the redhead, crossing his arms and starting to blow smoke through his nose.

Butch frowned again and tilted his head slightly. Was he-?

Butch nodded very slowly, not taking his gaze from his brother and moving imperceptibly closer to him. Was he deaf?

"BITCH," Boomer raised his voice, drawing the attention of both brothers. The brunet raised his eyebrows slightly, expectant. "Do you like Bubbles?" he asked, holding back his smile so as not to give himself away.

After a couple of second of confusion, Butch replied. "Uh... yeeees."

Boom cackled. "Cannot be!" he commented. "He's deaf!"

"Yeah, I already noticed," sighed the redhead, exasperated, rubbing his forehead.

Brick opened his mouth again, Boom supposed to repeat his pathetic scolding. He got up and put a hand on Brick's shoulder, distracting him. "Wait," Boom told him. "You have to take advantage of the situation."

Brick raised an eyebrow. "I don't see how we can fucking take advantage of this-" he turned to see Butch, looking up and down at him and wrinkling his nose again, "-situation."

"You'll see," he winked at him and bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. Ah, not every day you had the most idiotic of the three brothers like that, on a silver platter.

"BITCH," he said again. His eyes focused on Boom as he moved his head so he could listen. "Would you like to kiss Bubbles?"

Butch glanced around the room, as if he was processing what had just been asked. He returned his gaze to Boom and nodded slowly and uncertainly. "Yeeeeessss... ?"

Boom bit back a laugh and went on his next question.

"'Kay. Aaaaaaand... Have you already gone on a date?" He leaned on Brick's shoulder, who was also struggling not to break his angry expression.

"Aha," Butch replied after a few seconds.

Boom giggled, but managed to ask something else. It would be the last straw for Butch to deny the question. "Do you like Cam?" Brick turned to see him, puzzled. Well, he would have to update Brick on the high school gossip.

Butch thought again about what he had been told. "Noooo," he answered at the end.

Boom burst out cackling, Brick next to him also laughing. Not only was he deaf, he was also an idiot.

* * *

 _Why are they laughing?,_ Butch asked, very, very confused. He now felt like an idiot for asking that to a voice in his head.

 _'Cause they're idiots,_ Jessica replied. _Don't listen to them... Well, as if you could. You only answer what I tell you._

Butch wasn't sure that was a good idea.

* * *

"BUTCH," Brick said once the laughter faded. The brunet moved closer to him. "YOU'RE DEAF."

Butch narrowed his eyes and then put his hand on his armpit.

Boom laughed again. God, never in his life would he forget that epic moment.

"NO," Brick said. "NOT SWEATY -well, too," he muttered the last part. "BUTCH, YOU," he pointed at Butch, "ARE," he waved his finger from side to side and then pointed to his ear, "DEAF."

Butch narrowed his eyes and then screamed. "THAT I'M DEAF?"

"YEAH," Brick said, nodding at the same time.

"NOOO," he replied, half smiling. The redhead sighed exaggeratedly, Boom still laughing at the deafness of his brother.

"Forget it. Go take a bath," Brick ordered, pulling away from the blond. Butch just nodded and went to get his things on the floor.

"I'M GONNA TAKE A BATH," he announced. The pain in his stomach was too much, and Butch announcing to most of the block that he was gonna bathe didn't help. 

Boom flopped down on the couch, trying to stifle his laughter. He reached out to grab the newspaper and began to fan it.

A few moments later, the doorbell rang.

"Open!" Brick said from the kitchen.

Boomer stood up, wiping the tears from his laughter and holding his stomach. He went to the door and saw the mini screen on the left. In the image appeared nothing more and nothing less than the very Bubbles Utonium, waiting very patiently to be allowed to enter.

He couldn't suppress the mocking smile. Was she as deaf as Bitch?

He gave her access and in a matter of moments, a Puff made an appearance in the common room of the humble home of the Rowdyruffs.

"Hmm... IS BUTCH HERE?" she screamed. Boom walked away from her. Butch's scream was much more bearable than Bubs'.

Brick leaned out of the kitchen, covering one ear.

"He's taking a bath," Boomer replied, assuming she wouldn't understand anything he said either.

"Ah... OKAY," she yelled again, clearly not understanding what he had said. Boom took a step back in an attempt to safeguard his hearing. One deaf Rowdy was more than enough.

Bubs pulled something out of her sweatshirt pocket... which now that he looked at it, was extravagantly large and much like one Butch had and had mysteriously disappeared a few days ago.

 _Well, one less mystery to solve,_ he told himself.

Bubs handed Brick, already next to them -but also keeping his distance from the girl-, a small amber flask.

"THEY ARE DROPS WITH CHEMICAL X," she explained. "FOR THE EARS," she continued, pointing to her ear. Brick made a face, but nodded anyway. "CAN... CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY?"

"We hear you better than good," Boomer said, suppressing the giggle that was about to come out. Noticing that she wasn't reacting to his comment, he lifted his thumb, to which she nodded.

"OKAY, WELL, HE MUST PUT THREE DROPS IN..." she trailed off for a moment, then continued: "YOU AR... YOU ARE Not deaf, are you?"

They both denied, thanking her for realizing it.

"Oh, sorry," she apologized. "It's just that Butch wasn't listening to me and I had to yell at him and that stuck with me," she stammered, blushing slightly. "Anyway, he should put three drops in each ear, every twelve hours for three days. The Professor said that by tomorrow we should recover most of the hearing."

"Good," Brick said, eyeing the vial carefully. "And did you give Mike something like this too?" he asked, not looking away from the vial.

"And to the rest of the city," Boom added, raising his eyebrows and grinning from side to side. Oh, he forgot the other lover.

"Yeah yeah. For-for the city in general," Brick said, noticing his choice of words.

They turned to see Bubbles, puzzled. Right, she wasn't listening.

"DID YOU GIVE SOMETHING TO THE REST OF THE CITY?" yelled Boomer. Bubs stared at him as if a pimple had grown on his nose.

"AH, YES," she replied, raising her voice again. "THE PROFESSOR WENT TO THE HOSPITAL. THEY ARE GOING TO START ADMINISTERING THE MEDICA... the medication for all those affected," she finished, lowering her voice. "Sorry."

Boom waved his hand to dismiss the fact that both he and Brick were going deaf as well and not because of a zombie toucan.

"Well I... I gotta go," Bubs said.

"Okay, thanks," Brick said, lifting the vial slightly.

Bubs nodded and turned around. 

"WAIT," Boomer yelled, making both Brick and Bubs jump. "CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING?"

"Uh-huh."

"Do you like Butch?"

"What the fuck?" Brick said, confused.

"Shut up and enjoy," Boom told him. He returned his gaze to Bubs, who was apparently still processing what had been asked.

"I... Ummm... yeeeeesss," she said, doubtful of her response.

Boom suppressed another mocking smile. "And do you dream of kissing him?"

"Oh God," Brick muttered, running his free hand over his face and neck.

* * *

 _Say yes,_ BC's little voice told her.

_I don't even know what he told me._

_But I do. Tell him yes,_ BC insisted.

This was stupid.

* * *

"Yessss... ?" she said after a few moments.

"I see. Aaaaaand... This is a gossip Mitch told me but I dunno if it's true," he said quietly to Brick. "Would you date Peter King?"

"Peter King?" asked the redhead.

"The quarterback," Boom murmured and turned to see Bubs, who was watching him closely.

"Nnnnnooooo... ?" she replied at the same time she slowly shook her head.

And with that said, Boom gave another laugh. Brick just blew out his breath and walked a very puzzled Bubbles to the door.

He flopped onto the sofa, his laughter already fading. Both individuals had confessed that they liked each other; indirectly, 'cause they were deaf, but they had.

"I'll make dinner," Brick said, returning to the kitchen.

"I thought I heard Bubs," Butch said, walking down the stairs in his underwear.

Boomer understood the rush his brother was in to meet a pretty blonde again, but even he wouldn't go so far as to go down in his boxers just to see his crush. He wouldn't wanna give a... he didn't even know if in the magical world of Lovebirdland seeing someone in their underwear was a bad impression or not.

"You do hear that, don't you?" Brick scolded him, walking past him.

"What?"

"NOTHING. Booms," Brick called out, tossing the vial at Boom. "Put that on the lover here." And he went into the kitchen, reciting hundreds of obscenities under his breath.

"What did he say?" Butch asked, approaching the couch.

"Nothing," he said. "Your girlfriend brought you this," he shook the vial and pointed to his ear. "So you can hear the love of your life."

Bitch nodded, clearly not understanding a word.

"I think you should get dressed first, though," he suggested. Butch shook his head, trying to figure out what he had said. "Get dressed," he repeated, pointing to his boxers.

Butch took a look at himself before heading back to the stairs.

Ah, the crazy things that are done for love.

* * *

That night he dreamed of that forest again, the only place where nobody saw them, where they could be together and in peace, without the gazes of the whole city on her.

It was just the two of them, training, practicing how to break each other's face... admiring how the sun increased the brightness of her hair, how those little hands were capable of both beating him and caressing him...

That same night, she knocked him down again, struggled with him again, fell on top of him again, and asked him again if he was okay.

"Oh God, are you okay?" she asked, resting her hands on him to get up. And then he had the chance to capture every beautiful line that delimited her face, the soft greenish hue of her eyes and the delicate shape of her lips.

"Butch?" she whispered, her breath tickling his cheek.

"Bubs," Butch sighed, resting his hand on her face and stroking her cheek. The beautiful blonde closed her eyes and tilted her head toward his hand.

Butch closed his eyes, his lips colliding with hers. They were so soft, so sweet... it was heaven on earth.

Their lips parted for a moment before coming back together, returning him to paradise.

He didn't know how much time passed, he only knew that they remained like that for a long time, with the sun on them, with his arms around her, with his lips telling her everything that his heart felt for her. He felt his restless soul at peace, his fury appeased... and the pure energy of that beautiful girl reaching to his marrow.

And when he awoke, so calm and peaceful, two questions invaded him: why had it lasted so little... and why were Bubsy's eyes green.

* * *

_"Master," his protégé said, extremely concerned and surprised._

_What a box of surprises the little blonde was... the crazy things that were committed in the name of love. If that could be called love._

_He made a movement with his hand and opened a vortex, immersing himself in the dreams of Butch Jojo, the deeply in love Rowdyruff... who believed that he could give peace to a heart so broken, to a soul as shattered and lost as Bubbles Utonium was._

_Poor deluded child. Believing that what he felt for that poor girl could break through any barrier, that it could overcome any evil..._

_If only he knew the magnitude of the void that existed between the girl and the world._

_"Master," repeated again his protégé. "She-"_

_"Destroyed it," he finished for her._

_That had been surprising. The last of the Powerpuff Girls, the most sensitive and the weakest of that trio of superheroines, had accomplished a feat on her own._

_Would she be able to repeat that feat? But more importantly, more... mysterious: how had she done it?_

_Three weren't enough. Six weren't sufficient... and one... one seemed like the_ one.

_He banished the boy's dreams to now see Bubbles Utonium's. However, like all the times before, was rejected. He could only see, dimly, the girl sleeping peacefully, smiling and snuggling with a black hoodie on._

_The vortex vanished. Dammit._

_It was always the same. He could never access the mind of that girl, he couldn't know what she was thinking, what she was dreaming ... only what she felt, how she felt. And he knew better than anyone how treacherous the heart was._

_What was she dreaming about? What was going on in that mind? What was she hiding behind that fake smile?_

_What was it that protected that blonde from him?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeeeeell... Uni is going to start again, and you know, I have to save the semester (and the career) XD. I dunno if I can stay active as I have been until now, it depends on how much they squeeze my brain.  
> Anyway ... if this new semester does not consume my life (more than it already has), soon we could enter on Brute's POV.
> 
> PS. I would like to read your opinion 💖, so leave a comment below pls


	10. "Good" Ol' Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, the semester is destroying me. And it's only been two weeks... and I should be preparing my exposition. Do your teachers also tell you to expose the whole program?
> 
> Anyway, do not forget to leave kudos if you like the story, or your comments 💖

"Ladies, gentlemen and others! Welcome to the Octagon; the only geometric figure that interested me to study!" Some of those present laughed, others continued pushing to get to the guy who was in charge of the bets. "Please welcome our new fighter: Ethaaaaan Castillo!" A chorus of boos and other of cheers filled the basement. "And on this other side, welcooooooome... THE RUTHLESS HUNTRESS!" A chorus of cheers rose, bills began to fly, and many began jostling to get to the front row. "Remember!" said the guy who was introducing them. "Don't touch the fighters, don't help them, and no robberies! But more importantly: THERE ARE NO RULES!" The stridor increased at that statement.

"'Kay," Richardson whispered behind her, patting her shoulders. "Finish him."

He removed the thin green robe from her and pushed her into the Octagon, a figure that was only traced in yellow paint on the floor, thus delimiting the fighting area.

She nonchalantly walked to the center of the Octagon, studying her adversary.

It was a dude of no more than twenty years old, with hair so white that it looked like snow and a scar on his left eyebrow; much taller than her -they were all taller than her- and big muscles. He moved both pecs before approaching her, smiling sideways, confident. Brute didn't return the gesture; she limited herself to scrutinize him with the gaze, studying how he stepped, how he swayed, the tic in his right eye, the sound his hands made every time he clenched his fists... even the blue gaze of naivety he threw at her.

He leaned more on the right side, and that same side was the one that had worked the most... which implied that it was the side that he cared the least. He walked as if he wanted to intimidate her with his size, puffing out his chest and marking his biceps more.

"Fighters!" yelled the presenter, drawing Ethan Castillo's attention. "No spitting, kicking or hitting the balls!" The guy snorted, cracking his neck and back...

He was contracted. Bad night? Did he sleep in his car?

The bell rang, and Ethan Castillo lunged for her. Brute took a step with her front leg, out of the way of the guy's fist and slamming her fist into his stomach, blowing the air out of him and knocking him down with a loud crash.

He stood up immediately, a hint of anger already creeping into his eyes. _Oh yeah._

He approached Brute again, trying to smash his fist into her face, neglecting his right side. As she was shorter than him, she evaded his blow and punched him straight into his face. The guy fell, his blood already splattering the Octagon. The screaming increased in intensity, for that was what the people wanted.

Blood.

Pure blood.

Ethan Castillo stood up, trying to wipe the blood from his nose, but smearing it on his face and the back of his hand.

He threw himself against her again. Brute stepped to the side, dodging but managing to grab him by one of the straps of his white shirt. She pulled him to the ground and straddled him, using all of her weight and strength to pin him down.

Castillo raised both forearms, covering his face and part of his chest. That didn't stop her from hitting him in the arms, breaking one. The guy gave a cry, which was silenced when Brute managed to hit his jaw, as he has lowered his injured arm and thus neglected his face.

The screams of excitement and joy made her continue even though it was very evident that she had already won the fight.

People wanted blood. _She_ wanted blood. And that was what she would give them both.

She felt huge hands passing under her arms, jerking her away from Ethan Castillo, who was holding his right arm and whimpering -or so he was trying, since his face was completely unrecognizable.

She didn't resist when Richardson pulled her away. Brute would never say it, but she was grateful that someone dared to stop her, stop her from crossing a line from which there was no return.

The yelling and boos increased in intensity as Ethan Castillo was being dragged out of the Octagon. Apparently, he couldn't even walk.

As for her, she was dragged a few meters before putting both feet on the ground and getting up. Richardson pushed a few clueless who were approaching Brute. The exchange of bucks was quick, as were the curses that were shouted.

"How many did you get me into?" she asked, making sure only Richardson heard her.

"Two," he said, smiling. He again shoved a few other guys.

"Place your bets!" yelled again the dude, Rich, the son of the plump man next to her. "Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen!"

Brute watched as they all jostled to get to the guy next to Rich, scooping up money and hastily noting who they were betting on. Rich glanced at the money before nodding; as always, a percentage of those bucks went to the house.

"Ladies, gentlemen and others!" Rich yelled again, closing the individual's box next to him, closing the bets. "Please welcome our old and well-known friend... DAAAAAAVE PEEEEEENTZ!"

The crowd cheered for Pentz, a man much beefier than Ethan Castillo, older... and harder to knock out.

"Can our Huntress smash his balls!?" Rich questioned, receiving mixed responses from the public.

Richardson patted her shoulders in support and returned her to the Octagon.

Pentz still sported the split lip that Brute had given him a few days ago. His eye was already better, but she was sure that his vision wasn't as good if that side of his body was more protected than the other. As for the way the big man moved, his left knee kept giving him trouble. It was a shame, 'cause it meant that the fight would be fast.

The bell rang and Pentz lunged at her. Despite being blind in one eye, he managed to land a punch with his other hand when she tried to dodge him.

The impact was so strong that he knocked her to the ground. The screams of surprise and excitement rose again.

She got up before Pentz could get on top of her to end her. Brute raised her bandaged hands, keeping her guard, for Pentz was no newbie when it came to clandestine fights. She couldn't make the same mistake of underestimating him.

Pentz lunged at her again, but Brute was ready to _greet_ him. She blocked the blow and elbowed him in the face. She lowered her arm just in time to block his upper to her stomach, neglecting her face instead. Pentz punched her in the jaw.

The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. She swallowed it, feeling Chemical Y repair her broken jaw.

While that was happening, she returned his blow with her outstretched arm, hitting him in the face with the back of her hand. Pentz stopped the fall with his hands, a few drops of blood staining the floor. The crowd went wild.

The man rose, receiving blow after blow to the face and chest. With each blow Brute gave him, the crowd grew madder and madder. Blood continued to splatter on the floor, also splattering into some of the audience and seeping through the threads of the bandages.

Pentz ducked, dodging the next round of punches and tackled her. She took the opportunity while she was in the air to elbow him in the neck. The dude released her after the third nudge, placing his hand at the angle between his neck and shoulder.

Brute staggered a little. She managed to balance herself on her tip-toes, crouching down as Pentz made to land a hook. However, she received a direct uppercut to the jaw. Brute fell backward, blood filling her mouth again. She rolled onto her side and spat out the blood. A chorus began to rise above other screams; a chorus that repeated Dave Pentz's name over and over again.

She managed to get to her feet, only to receive another punch from Pentz straight to her abdomen. She folded from lack of air. Blood began to drip from her mouth, dirtying the floor further. Chemical Y rearranged her jaw with a pop.

Brute stepped back, a heat in her chest beginning to spread to the rest of her body. Chemical Y was reacting not only to heal her, but to attack.

Brute might be able to do prowess with Chemical Y backing her up, but that took away the fun of hitting someone with her bare hands. It deprived her of venting her anger against another person.

She shook her head to drive away the energy that was gathering in her hands. She straightened up, meeting Dave Pentz's face, transformed by the blood dripping from his brow, nose and mouth. He ran his hand through his brown hair and raised his guard, not before spitting at the feet of the crowd.

Brute spat too, running the back of her hand over her mouth to clean the trail of saliva mixed with blood.

The crowd was deafening.

Brute also raised her hands. The man smiled.

Pentz ran to her, and she to him, ready to smash their faces.

* * *

Richardson took her by the arm, leading her away from the crowd, toward the small room where her things were.

"Well," said the plump man when he closed the door. "Now _that_ was a great show."

Brute grunted, taking a seat on the little bench against one of the walls. Her heart was beating like mad, she was sweating and her knuckles were damp with Pentz's blood. However, she felt no pain from the blows she had received. Chemical Y had already repaired and healed the bumps and cuts, as well as the broken bones.

A boring fight, like the rest. That didn't give her a chance to take all her stress out or to feel the stress of her opponent, much less to feel the pain of the wounds.

"How you felling?" asked Rick Richardson, the multibillionaire magnate who in his spare time trained Brute and handled the clandestine fights.

"Gud," she murmured, looking at her hands.

She remembered Berserk's hands, scarred and callused... that had tasted blood without knowing how to do it properly. Her hands, on the other side, were still well cared, neat, without any mark. What did that mean?

"Brute," Richardson said, drawing her attention. She stopped looking for a meaning about that silly comparison between her hands and her sister's to listen to Richardson. "I'm going for the money. Change," he told her, leaving the room.

She passed her hand across her forehead and rested her elbows on her knees.

Brute hadn't been able to sleep well for days, listening to Berserk sneaking in through one of the windows she purposely left open. The trembling on her eye and leg was also getting very annoying, and her back and shoulders were killing her. Actually, nothing that a good fight -especially with Pentz- couldn't solve...

The problem was that the fights she got into were never enough, they just stressed her out even more. And fighting Brume and Bass was always boring. The same movements, the same force, the same strategy... little robots that followed the manual. Berserk was the one who took the biggest prize when fighting Barron, the only one of that trio that was worth it.

She took the backpack that was at the other end of the bench to take out her clothes and change. She pulled the shirt over the sports top, as did her jeans and hoodie, without zipping it up. She stuffed the ball of bloody bandages, as well as the small washcloth she carried to wipe the sweat away, in her backpack.

She put the backpack on her shoulder as Richardson walked back inside, a good deal of money in hand. He closed the door and began to count the bills.

Brute leaned against the wall, waiting for the man to finish counting to give her her part. Or rather, the whole wad of cash.

Richardson never kept all the money; most of the earnings were given to Brute, so that she could... well, someone had to maintain the stupid mansion. It wasn't like the Oppressor had a salary for destroying the city whenever he could, and Berserk... was out most of the day, presumably running errands for the Oppressor.

Or fucking.

However it happened, Brute wasn't interested. As long as Berserk continued to appear in her bed every morning and the Oppressor didn't look like a walking corpse, all was good.

Richardson handed her the cash. "Fifteen grand," he said, suppressing the smile."Use them well."

Brute took the money and stuffed it into the backpack, not bothering to count it. She was confident Richardson wasn't ripping her off.

Richardson opened the door, waving his hand for her to go through first. She went out again to the abandoned basement of that building that nobody bothered to tear down. People were already retiring; some smiling and jumping with happiness, others disappointed and upset.

Well, not everyone could get what they wanted; she knew it better than anyone.

"C'mon," Richardson said, calling for Rich. The guy with the huge teeth and freckles said goodbye to the betting man and ran towards them, a huge roll of bucks in his hand.

He caught up with with them and they continued on their way.

Rich tapped her on the shoulder with his wad of cash. Well, at least someone had fun with the fights.

They headed for the other exit, the one that faced the main avenue. It didn't matter if they went out from the front of the building or down the alleys, the police weren't going to do anything. They hadn't done anything in years, less were they going to react now.

No one seemed to be fazed by them or by the crowd of people coming out of the alley. She took a deep breath and said goodbye to the Richardsons, agreeing to see again the next day.

The man and his son crossed the street, toward the cafe that was in front of the building. She watched them until they entered the place and then started walking. She might as well fly to the mansion, but she didn't want to arrive soon.

She didn't wanna face the lonely mansion, with the noise of the lab and the Oppressor breaking the silence, nor did she want to see Berserk's face, struggling to control... control whatever was on her mind.

She zipped up her hoodie and pulled on the hood, hiding her face from everyone. The police might not do anything, but the pesky Rowdyrocks did, and the last thing she needed was Brume trying, very pathetically, to knock her out. Enough she had with the Oppressor looking to try something new on her to put up with the Bee's outdated fighting system.

Brute crossed the street, chosing better to go by bus, since the walk would be extremely long and although she did not want to get to the mansion, time was the least she had.

The bus made her the stop. Brute received the ticket and took a seat at the back, in the corner. To be at night, the bus was almost empty. Possibly it would fill up as they entered the city, suffocating Brute in the smell and sweat of people returning home tired.

She leaned against the window, looking at her hands again.

Throughout her life she had struck monsters, the faces of the Rowdyrock's, the faces of her opponents in the Octagon, stopped Berserk's knives, and endured the thousands of pinpricks the Oppressor had caused her for putting a catheter on to give her... The devil knows what filthy he gave to Brute.

And even so, her hands remained intact, as if they had never known the misfortune or pain of fighting to survive. Of course, she couldn't say the same about the rest of her body, that had endured the Oppressor's punishments... which really had to be for Berserk, but she never paid for her stupidities.

Lucky the crazy ones, huh?

And lucky she that, thanks to whoever was listening to her, Berserk stopped being so shameless with her impetuosity.

She lowered her hands and looked out at the dimly lit streets of Viletown. They were already heading into the city, the people in that mini bus were increasing and the city traffic was getting worse.

And yet, she enjoyed that kind of normality. Normality that the rest of the people crowding the bus did not seem to enjoy.

She couldn't blame them; they didn't have to live with the curse of Chemical Y entwined in their DNA. Surely if Brute had been normal from the start, she too would hate being too close to complete strangers on that bus, and would wish she could fly to get to her house fast to sleep.

But that's the problem; she _could_ do it. And that took away the sense of desire.

She returned her attention to the interior of that bus, where there was no room for another soul, but it was still filling up anyway. She hugged her backpack and shrank a little more so that someone else could sit in the back seat.

The horns of the drivers filled her brain, as did the music of the individual next to her, who despite wearing headphones, she could hear the song. Brute didn't know if it was due to Chemical Y or 'cause of the guy, indeed, had the volume at top.

Brute sighed and momentarily closed her eyes, the hustle and bustle of the bus preventing her from falling asleep at all.

And once again, she saw _her_ again. A pretty blonde girl, with sapphires for eyes, smiling at her knowingly. She was slightly shorter than Brute, much more skinny, much more... _alive._ Would Brat have been that pretty? Would she have looked that radiant?

She opened her eyes, the image of her little sister fading. Questions that would never be answered were not worth asking. It only opened wounds that were supposed to be closed and... remembering the past never led to anything good.

She kept observing the people on the bus, who was getting off and who was getting on; who ate and who listened to music 'til deafness; who slept and who talked with their companion... the normal life of normal people. The life that she was deprived of but that, for some strange reason, she should be thankful for not living.

Chemical Y was a- How did the Oppressor call it? Oh yeah, a _gift_. A gift that made her a kind of a goddess. Goddesses among mortals.

 _Until something greater than a god turns that same god into a mortal,_ Brat's small voice said, reminding Brute of the Oppressor's sour words.

* * *

"See if I understand you," Roxanne said after a few seconds. "You guys plan on having the Oppressor and Jomo send you to the other dimension, to recruit these... Powerpugs? Well, those and whoever are the bad reflections of the Rowdys, for you to convince them to join your cause and thus, those who end up giving up the ghost are the ape and the one-eyed man. Right?

Berserk blinked a few times before replying. "Right."

It was a strange ~~stupid~~ way of summing up the plan, but she was right.

Roxxie nodded slowly. "Your plan sucks," she said next. ~~I very much agree with the girl.~~

Bers breathed out and leaned against the back of the sofa. Certain ~~thousand~~ details were missing, it was true, but not to the extent that Roxxie labeled it a failure. ~~That to say the least.~~

"Okay, let's see," Roxxie said, getting up from the other sofa and heading to the kitchen. After a few seconds, she returned to the living room, with peppers, a bag of marshmallows, some incense sticks and a set of salt shakers. ~~Is she planning to make a salad?~~ She sat on the floor in front of the coffee table, placing all the objects on it.

"These," she took three white salt shakers, "are the Rowdyrocks." She put that trio on one side of the table. Rox took another two salt shakers, black. "These are you, the Punks," and put them on the opposite end. "Good. Now, these," she grabbed the three peppers, red, green and yellow, "are the Rowdy-Something Boys." She placed them on the same side as the white salt shakers and proceeded to open the bag of marshmallows, pulling out two. "And these will be the Pugs, okay?" Rox put them on the same side as the black salt shakers.

Well, it wasn't like Berserk disagreed with... "What the fuck is that supposed to represent?" ~~I don't say this regularly, but I agree with you.~~

"'Kay," Rox said, ignoring Bers' question. ~~Or maybe ignoring you.~~ Roxxie set the incense sticks on the table, dividing the peppers and marshmallows from the salt shakers. "And this will be like... the... barrier between dimensions, okay?"

"I still don't understand-"

"Well, I don't understand the specifics of your plan either, so let's clarify it here," she pointed to the table. "You plan to go to the other dimension, right?" Rox took the salt shakers and held them close to the sticks.

"Uh-huh..." What was it that Roxxie didn't understand? ~~Your stupidity. I don't blame her, I don't understand it either.~~

"At what point are you gonna explain your plan to your 'dearest' siblings? Before," she picked up a white salt shaker and tapped it against the table, "or after?" Rox passed it to the other side of the sticks, tapping the table again with the shaker.

"After, when we get there," Bers clarified, sure ~~sure?~~ of her response.

"Well, that explains why your plan sucks so much."

~~Like I said, I agree with her.~~

"And now why?" If we tell 'em here, they're gonna snitch with the Oppressor and Jomo. We can't risk that."

"You have to tell them," Roxxie contradicted, returning the salt shaker with the others. "At least to Brume and Bass."

Was she crazy? ~~She is saner than you.~~

"They'll tell-" she snapped.

"You don't know that. Look," Roxxie said before Bers could continue objecting. "I believe you when you say you can't say anything to Brute. However, although it's almost impossible, it's still easier to reason with the boys than with Brute."

"Your point?" ~~Your plan sucks.~~ She crossed her arms, leaning back on the couch.

"That if you tell Brume and Bass while you are there, they'll fell used, betrayed and so on and will find a way to sabotage the plan."

"It would be worse if we tell them being here. If they try to sabotage the plan, at least we can be sure they won't tell Jomo anything."

"Okay, suppose you're right," ~~suppose~~ Rox said, surrendering. "What about Brute?"

"She'll resign herself."

What could Brute do to her? ~~Kill you.~~ Break her jaw? ~~Slice your neck.~~ Recite all the curses she knew? ~~Finish you off.~~ Send her to hell? ~~Finally get rid of you.~~ Curse her and call her crazy? ~~**CRAZY.**~~

"Don't you think she'll try to kill you or something when she finds out about this?"

"Advantages of being crazy: she's scared of me," Bers said, thanking ~~it's not like I have many options, you filthy rat~~ that her condition protected her from her sister.

"You're not crazy," ~~you're insane~~ Rox muttered. "Anyway, suppose nothing bad happens from hiding them that they're basically gonna kill their creators. How are you going to convince your... reflections?"

That was a very good question. How were they going to convince Blossom Utonium that they really wanted to take down the Oppressor? Would she agree to help them if she found out they were going against Jomo too? ~~If she's as crazy as you, maybe she would.~~ And then there was Buttercup, who seemed to be as stubborn as Brute. Or that impression had Bers. As it were; if they convinced Blossom, they'd have Buttercup.

Nor could she forget the Puffs' counterparts. Would they have personalities similar to the Rowdyrocks? ~~I hope they are more funny.~~ Would they be opposites? They were the bad reflection of the Rowdyrocks, which implied that they could be similar to the Punks. ~~Losers?~~ But Barron and Blossom weren't alike, nor Brume and Buttercup, much less Bass and Bubbles...

Of course that was what she assumed with what little she knew from when she was five years old. ~~Which is, nothing.~~ However, as little as she came to interact with the Puffs, they weren't similar to the Rowdyrock Boys.

Thus, the Puffs' counterparts were not to be the same as the Punks at all. ~~Of course not. They kicked your ass like vile pipe rats. They're better than you, and if we follow that logic, Barr's bad reflection is way better than him.~~

A chill ran down her spine, but she ignored it.

In the end, she came back to the same point: how did they convince their reflections to help them?

"I have no fucking idea," she said, giving up. ~~Like the miserable scoundrel you are.~~

"Well, you can appeal that your reflection is involved with her counterpart," Rox said, peering at the peppers.

Bers turned to see her, waiting for Roxxie to tell her more. Rox snapped out of her trance and cleared her throat.

"Think 'bout it. You and Barr are... I dunno what the fuck you guys are, but let's leave it to you fuck five times a week." ~~I don't know what the fuck is that you have either.~~ Bers snorted, but said nothing. "If we follow that logic, maybe your reflection," she took one of the marshmallows and held it up to the red pepper, "and Barr's are also involved." She stuck the marshmallow on the tail of the pepper.

~~Or maybe they hate each other, as you two should. Damn traitor.~~

"And they may also keep it a secret," Bers said. That other dimension could be as miserable as theirs, with so little freedom... ~~With more power than you possess.~~

"Or not."

"Roxxie, we are assuming many things from that other dimension, not knowing if they are really true or false," said the redhead. Bers laid back, stretching her legs and looking up at the ceiling.

This plan to save their miserable ~~I agree~~ lives was giving her a migraine.

"Better to assume all possibilities than to assume nothing and find surprises," said Roxxie as someone knocked the door. ~~Could it be the Oppressor?~~ The brunette got up and went to open. ~~Could it be Brute?~~ A little cry of joy caught Berserk's attention.

She moved her head to see the sandy haired boy at the door who was kissing Roxxie ~~disgusting~~ as if there was no one else in the room. But her gaze went to the person behind Mark, to the ~~even more disgusting~~ redhead who had just raised an eyebrow as he closed the door.

Barron evaded the pair of lovers that looked like they were about to fuck at the entrance and went to Bers, a smile dancing on his face. ~~I don't know what is more disgusting; whether he smiling or your wet pussy.~~

He leaned over her, his lips colliding with hers. ~~No; definitely you kissing is even more repulsive.~~ Bers removed her hands from her chest and pulled Barr by his neck ~~w~~ ~~hy don't you have a fucking orgy since you're at it?~~ , until he was forced to put a hand on the back of the sofa to keep from falling on her.

"Okay, lovebirds," Roxxie said, taking a seat back on the floor. "Not in my living room."

Barr raised an eyebrow, reluctantly turning away from Berserk. "And at the entrance yes?"

"My house, my rules," Rox replied.

"More like your mother's house," Bers said, raising her legs so that Barr could sit up. "Her rules." They boy sat up and drew her legs into his lap. He laid his hands on her ~~as if he had another place to put them~~ , staring at the table now.

The redhead frowned.

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying to understand the setting at the coffee table.

"We represent the plan," Bers explained. "And Roxxie concluded that-"

~~Your plan sucks.~~

"Your plan sucks," the brunette said again, looking very seriously at Barr.

"In what sense?" Mark asked, sitting next to his girlfriend, looking amusedly at the peppers and marshmallows.

"In every sense. That's why we are exemplifying the plan."

"With peppers, salt shakers and marshmallows?" Barr asked skeptically. ~~Man of little faith.~~

Bers quickly explained the meaning of each item, as well as the first ~~first?~~ technical difficulty of the plan and... Well, maybe the plan did suck. ~~As much as you.~~

"Well, maybe I can talk to this... Blossom," Barr said, trying to resolve the great ~~major~~ difficulties of the plan. "If she and I are... I don't even know how to call it but... if we are... similar... I can... appeal to..."

He fell silent. ~~Thank God.~~ Bers didn't blame him, she didn't know how to convince her either. ~~I'm surprised you at least know her name, scoundrel.~~ They only had the skeleton ~~HA~~ of a plan, and she wasn't even sure they had all the bones of that plan.

"Like I said, you might assume that Blossom is involved with her counterpart," Rox insisted.

~~I hope not. Enough is that one of you falls so low.~~

"How are we gonna use that to our advantage?" Barr asked, his hands starting to cool. "Threatening them to yell it from the rooftops? It's the same predicament that they would put us in."

"Or, what's between those two," said Mark, taking the pepper with the marshmallow, "isn't a secret. You could tell them that you want what they have."

Berserk snorted. ~~If you tell 'em that cheesy stuff, I'll kill you.~~ "I'm not going to tell them that cheesy stuff." ~~Thank you.~~

"I think we can skip that part and just tell them 'bout the situation," Barr said, absently running his hands down Bers' legs. ~~A clear sign to keep your paws away from him.~~

"No offense," Rox said. "But the situation seems very surreal."

"Honey," said Mark. "This city is surreal."

Berserk agreed with him, but Rox also had a point. ~~Your plan, like you, sucks.~~ It was better to plan something else than to continue looking for a solution for the one they had.

"What if it's the other way round?" Mark intervened again, removing the marshmallow from the tail of the pepper and observing it carefully.

"What do you mean?" Rox asked, looking at him confused.

"In... In that binder, it's assumed that this girl may well have passed away... This Boo... What was her name?"

"Bubbles," Bers replied.

"Yeah, her. The Agency, guided by..." he briefly paused, "-Brat, assume that in the other dimension Bubbles may have died, or whoever her counterpart was. But, if who died there were the other two? The reds and the greens?"

That in the other dimension Blossom and Buttercup, or their counterparts, died? ~~Or everyone and there's no one left to help you get out of the mess you got yourself into.~~

Bers had brought it up at some point in the week, but she dismissed the idea. Viletown and its reflection weren't complements of each other; they were just reflections. Bubbles Utonium was far more likely to be underground than her sisters.

"If so," Barr said, considering the possibility. "How could that help us?"

"Well, Brat was pretty messy and it was always very difficult to convince her to abandon an idea," Rox said, biting her lip but following Mark's line of thought. "If we are saying the Pugs are the good reflection of the Punks, and we assume that they have opposite personalities, then..."

~~Bubbles would be as stupid as you to fall for the little game.~~

"Bubbles Utonium would be naive enough to believe us," Bers finished. "That's assuming she hasn't changed in these years."

In an ideal world, Bubbles Utonium would be alive and... well, she would be naive ~~stupid~~ enough to agree to help them, even with the slightest explanation of the situation.

But that wasn't the ideal world.

Bubbles Utonium could have suffered the same fate as Brat, and even if not, Berserk highly doubted the girl was as stupid ~~well, nobody believes that you're stupid and look at you~~ as to help them without asking anything about the risks.

"That's an assumption," Mark said, bringing the marshmallow to his mouth. Rox looked at him puzzled, but didn't say anything to him.

"Also," Rox said, returning to the topic. "You're going to convince those girls' counterparts. We don't know if they have the same relationship as you," she said, looking at Barr. "Or if it's different or if they exist or something happened to them."

In that respect, Bers had to admit they were blind. They didn't know anything about the Puffs' counterparts... and Roxxie said well: they didn't even know if they really existed.

~~And once again: your plan sucks.~~

"This plan sucks," Berserk agreed, staring at the ceiling.

"And..." said Mark, taking the other marshmallow. "How are you going to convince the dudes to send you to the other dimension?"

"I've already got that covered," Barr stated. At least the part of the plan was still salvageable. ~~Your definition of salvageable worries me, knucklehead.~~

Whatever Barron had planned, it had to be something that would merit Jomo sending the boys to the other dimension. And if Berserk played her cards right, the Oppressor would consider sending them there as well.

"Oh yeah?" Mark asked, stealing the bag of marshmallows. Rox slapped him, but that didn't stop Mark from pulling the bag toward him. "What's your plan?"

"That," Barr said, still strocking her legs. "It's a surprise."

* * *

She closed the door of the mansion, stepping into darkness and dust. There were no lights on, nor were there any kind of noises. Only the light from the lamp post in the street pierced through.

Brute crept into the kitchen, thinking Berserk would be asleep above the table. The redhead used to eat after hours, and she ate too much, especially when her eyes twinkled a striking neon red.

She found more emptiness in the kitchen... and a pile of dirty dishes. Ah, she would wash them the next day.

She walked past the stairs, checking the -empty- Oppressor's room and then her own. Berserk wasn't there either. Her bed, stuck to the windows for obvious reasons, was well made, and the rest of Berserk's space was neatly arranged. Of course it's going to be like this; the redhead only got home to sleep and sometimes eat.

Brute sighed and tossed her backpack onto her bed, the one that was taped to the other wall. Compared to Berserk's space, the brunette's was in complete chaos. She would pick it up one of these days.

She headed back into the living room, toward the door -exaggeratedly reinforced- that led to the lab. She didn't hear noises coming from there either...

It was Tuesday night, and as far as she knew there was nothing special on that day.

Perhaps the Oppressor had gone to fuck with Bellum, and Berserk... something had to do Berserk. It was none of her business and she didn't care. Of course, if Berserk had nothing to do but wander around town all day, she might as well help Brute with the damn housework.

Well, she was alone in the mansion. Like most of the week. Like most of the day. She leaned against the door of the lab and focused on the grand piano in the living room.

She went to sit on the bench, settling in the same way Berserk used to.

She lifted the lid and touched a key. Immediately turned to the entrance of the lab, fearing that the Oppressor would magically come out and curse at being interrupted in his very "important" work. But no one came out, just like no one entered the mansion.

Brute looked at the piano again and closed her eyes, letting her hands remember what the mind could not. A melody began to flow as her fingers brushed the keys, remembering what Berserk's moves were to play a song. She listened carefully to the song, still allowing her fingers to play the piano as if they knew what they were doing.

It was the last melody Berserk had played, a few days after Brat's death. She didn't understand why she was playing that, but she didn't wanna stop.

That day, Berserk had played for hours, in silence, not even stopping to take a short break, while the Oppressor reproached her countless times that it was her fault. And Brute... she just stood next to her sister, watching how she moved her hands, how her fingers flowed on the keys, as if she were caressing them, and also ignoring the Oppressor.

As she continued to play, letting the notes flood her brain and ease her stress, she imagined Brat again, a pretty blonde girl who would be in the room, moving around with her violin on her collarbone, passing the bow back and forth incessantly and matching with Berserk's rhythm.

And Brute would be next to Bersy, watching what keys she pressed, listening to the piano notes blend with the violin to create a single melody.

Brute didn't know if the songs had a name, or if they were composed by her sisters. She only knew that they could complement each other in a way that Brute never could with them.

She only knew how to fight, to curse... the Oppressor had insisted that all she knew how to do was punch until she smashed things. And that was her _only_ purpose in her life.

She wasn't complaining; knowing how to fight was worth a lot of money to maintain an empty and dusty mansion, where only she took care of all the household chores while the Oppressor looked for a new way to conquer Viletown and Berserk went to... to do Berserk things.

Her fingers began to stop, a sign that the song was about to end. But like Berserk, she continued to the next tune, which sent her back to where she had vowed never to return.

She went back to the old days, when everything was relatively normal and the Oppressor acted like a decent father and her sisters were with her, causing chaos.

She remembered Brat, an expert in practical jokes, being so clever at them that even the great genius Bass Momo had come to her to help him perform an experiment for his... Brute couldn't remember what. She still heard Brat's cackle, laughing at the failed experiment and Bass' incredulous face. It was one of the few times that she saw that guy smile spontaneously.

And then there was Berserk... with that... that finesse with her fingers, incredible visual acuity despite her blindness, and great speed of thought that wasn't compromised by her insanity. All that was worth her to help Brat in the jokes and games of her; to... to teach Brute how to fight, Brat how to curse... to help Barron when he had a seizure.

As for her... Brute was limited to observe them, absorbing that happiness they radiated and memorizing and interpreting each of their movements, their tics, their expressions, in an attempt to compensate them for her...

She just watched and fought, like a brute, true to her name, not knowing how to do anything other than just punch 'til getting tired.

The question she'd asked herself in that basement reappeared in her mind. Why were her hands so neat, so soft and well cared if all she knew how to do was fight? What did that mean? What did it mean that she had been created to fight without being able to show it with her hands?

Was it a way to hide what she was capable of? Or was it the effect of her power, dissolving the scars on her hands? If that was the case, why didn't it dissolve the past? What good was having a power like that if it couldn't undo the tragedy of her family?

 _Berserk,_ said the little voice in her head.

Brute stopped abruptly and opened her eyes. She closed the lid of the piano and flew into her room, carefully closing the door and flinging herself onto the bed.

A few moments later, the front door opened and the squeak of sneakers being dragged across the tiles confirmed that it was her sister. The footsteps faltered, going from side to side. Possibly Berserk was also looking for someone else in the mansion.

The footsteps increased in intensity, alerting Brute that the redhead was going upstairs to the room.

Brute reached out to turn on the bedside lamp. She took out the phone and pretended she was checking it.

The door opened.

"Is the Oppressor here?" Berserk said, staying at the entrance, hugging a blue binder tightly and holding the doorknob with her other hand.

Brute looked bored at Berserk, studying her. She always wondered if the innate fire in her sister gave her immunity to the cold, 'cause the weather wasn't for her to wear mini shorts and a sleeveless top.

"No," she said, returning her attention to the phone. She texted Rich, to show that she was busy.

The redhead looked behind her and then into the room. After hesitating for a few seconds, she entered. She ignored Brute and went to sit on her bed, hugging her binder.

From the way she pressed that thing against her, Brute assumed it was something important, and given her sister's question, she had to hand it over to the Oppressor. Brute pricked up her hearing, picking up the growl of Berserk's stomach very faintly.

Brute sighed.

What good would it do Berserk to be so smart if she forgot to eat? Or did she think she made a living by eating cock? Well, if Berserk was a whore in her spare time -which she always had- maybe that last question had an affirmative answer.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn't eaten either. But not because she thought she could live off eating cock.

She looked up the number of the pizzeria. She wasn't in the mood to cook anything and didn't want to dirty more dishes. She glanced at Berserk, who was clearly uncomfortable being in the same room as Brute. She seemed like she was torn between staying or going somewhere else in the mansion with her stupid binder.

When Brute had found the number, she dialed and two rings after, they answered. Would four family pizzas be enough? She hoped so.

She made her order and hung up. She hoped they would at least have the decency to knock on the door, not like the other twenty times she thought no one would come because they were the Plutoniums and bullshit and it turned out that they did bring their food, just didn't dare to knock. Therefore, the food was already cold by the time she realized its existence.

Stupid city. Stupid people.

Berserk blew out her breath and set the binder aside. She scanned the room, not stopping her gaze on Brute.

"What's dat?" Brute asked, risking Berserk glaring at her.

"Nothing," Berserk replied curtly. Well, at least she answered Brute.

If it was nothing, she wouldn't carry it so close to her, and if it wasn't important, she wouldn't be so tense either.

The redhead dropped onto the bed, spreading her arms. Brute returned her attention to her phone, still no response from Rich. She put it aside and lay on her stomach so that she didn't see her sister.

However, she saw her other sister, smiling wickedly. She knew she shouldn't get carried away with things that would never be possible, but her other option was to stay in the present with Berserk.

She dozed off, visualizing the perfect present where Brat was still there, where Berserk wasn't crazy, where they were still sisters.

She visualized what was more bearable than reality, even after Berserk left the room, even when Brute got up to check if the food had arrived... even knowing that it was not worth dreaming about the impossible.

* * *

Cassandra wasn't having a good day. It was as if the damn universe had turned against her.

She got up late, with an annoying sore throat that didn't give in to anything, there was no hot water, she crashed her car, she was late, they had her day discounted, she threw her coffee on a sales report, she lost her phone, she didn't have enough money to order food... and now, the headache combined with the fever kept her from working in peace.

What had she done to deserve such a shitty day like that?

She leaned against the back of her chair, discomfort preventing her from concentrating on the graphs and relations on the spreadsheet. Suddenly, a terrible itch invaded her left forearm.

She scratched it, feeling some kind of lump. Perfect, a stupid mosquito had bitten her.

Couldn't her life get worse?

"Cass," Sarah said, entering her office. "The boss wants to know if you already have the sales report for the month."

She had it ready from the day before... but it was stained with coffee and the printer, true to its custom, had stuck and the technician had not repaired it yet.

They were days like those in which Cassandra would have preferred to listen to her drunk father and have dedicated herself to being a stripper.

"It got coffee," Cass said, trying to make her voice sound normal. She handed the report to Sarah. "Doesn't matter?"

Sarah frowned but took the document anyway.

"I'll tell him it's a new design," she commented. If Cass felt good, she would have smiled at that statement. But the headache was getting unbearable, and the chill was even worse.

Sarah left the office, unfazed by Cassandra's state.

Cass leaned her forehead against the cold glass of the desk, the relief being temporary. As far as she remembered, she had bundled up warm in those days, which were getting colder and colder because of the mad villain with ice powers. She also didn't remember having been in contact with someone sick.

She sighed. She would have to go to the doctor later. Maybe she would have to ask for a couple of days of incapacity, before the flu attempt killed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to save the semester and try to not die in the attempt, so... In the meantime, prepare for the cold and the drama 😉😏


End file.
